diff --git a/cmd/micro/action/command.go b/cmd/micro/action/command.go
index 3e755951..7a34c6de 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/action/command.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/action/command.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func InitCommands() {
 		"togglelog":  Command{(*BufPane).ToggleLogCmd, nil},
 		"plugin":     Command{(*BufPane).PluginCmd, nil},
 		"reload":     Command{(*BufPane).ReloadCmd, nil},
+		"reopen":     Command{(*BufPane).ReopenCmd, nil},
 		"cd":         Command{(*BufPane).CdCmd, buffer.FileComplete},
 		"pwd":        Command{(*BufPane).PwdCmd, nil},
 		"open":       Command{(*BufPane).OpenCmd, buffer.FileComplete},
@@ -234,6 +235,22 @@ func (h *BufPane) ToggleLogCmd(args []string) {
 func (h *BufPane) ReloadCmd(args []string) {
 }
 
+// ReopenCmd reopens the buffer (reload from disk)
+func (h *BufPane) ReopenCmd(args []string) {
+	if h.Buf.Modified() {
+		InfoBar.YNPrompt("Save file before reopen?", func(yes, canceled bool) {
+			if !canceled && yes {
+				h.Save()
+				h.Buf.ReOpen()
+			} else if !canceled {
+				h.Buf.ReOpen()
+			}
+		})
+	} else {
+		h.Buf.ReOpen()
+	}
+}
+
 func (h *BufPane) openHelp(page string) error {
 	if data, err := config.FindRuntimeFile(config.RTHelp, page).Data(); err != nil {
 		return errors.New(fmt.Sprint("Unable to load help text", page, "\n", err))
diff --git a/cmd/micro/action/infopane.go b/cmd/micro/action/infopane.go
index c42bed30..c83f77d2 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/action/infopane.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/action/infopane.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package action
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"log"
 
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/display"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/info"
@@ -184,7 +183,6 @@ func (h *InfoPane) InsertTab() {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	log.Println(ins, suggestions)
 
 	if len(suggestions) == 1 {
 		b.Insert(c.Loc, ins)
diff --git a/cmd/micro/buffer/buffer.go b/cmd/micro/buffer/buffer.go
index 3c8672dc..b6e7e253 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/buffer/buffer.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/buffer/buffer.go
@@ -12,13 +12,24 @@ import (
 	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
+	"github.com/saintfish/chardet"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/config"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/highlight"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/screen"
 	. "github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/util"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/htmlindex"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/unicode"
+	"golang.org/x/text/transform"
 )
 
-var OpenBuffers []*Buffer
+var (
+	OpenBuffers []*Buffer
+	detector    *chardet.Detector // encoding detector
+)
+
+func init() {
+	detector = chardet.NewTextDetector()
+}
 
 // The BufType defines what kind of buffer this is
 type BufType struct {
@@ -89,6 +100,8 @@ type Buffer struct {
 	// Settings customized by the user
 	Settings map[string]interface{}
 
+	Suggestions []string
+
 	Messages []*Message
 }
 
@@ -132,7 +145,7 @@ func NewBufferFromString(text, path string, btype BufType) *Buffer {
 // NewBuffer creates a new buffer from a given reader with a given path
 // Ensure that ReadSettings and InitGlobalSettings have been called before creating
 // a new buffer
-func NewBuffer(reader io.Reader, size int64, path string, cursorPosition []string, btype BufType) *Buffer {
+func NewBuffer(r io.Reader, size int64, path string, cursorPosition []string, btype BufType) *Buffer {
 	absPath, _ := filepath.Abs(path)
 
 	b := new(Buffer)
@@ -145,6 +158,14 @@ func NewBuffer(reader io.Reader, size int64, path string, cursorPosition []strin
 	}
 	config.InitLocalSettings(b.Settings, b.Path)
 
+	enc, err := htmlindex.Get(b.Settings["encoding"].(string))
+	if err != nil {
+		enc = unicode.UTF8
+		b.Settings["encoding"] = "utf-8"
+	}
+
+	reader := transform.NewReader(r, enc.NewDecoder())
+
 	found := false
 	if len(path) > 0 {
 		for _, buf := range OpenBuffers {
@@ -263,7 +284,18 @@ func (b *Buffer) FileType() string {
 
 // ReOpen reloads the current buffer from disk
 func (b *Buffer) ReOpen() error {
-	data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(b.Path)
+	file, err := os.Open(b.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	enc, err := htmlindex.Get(b.Settings["encoding"].(string))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	reader := transform.NewReader(file, enc.NewDecoder())
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
 	txt := string(data)
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/micro/buffer/save.go b/cmd/micro/buffer/save.go
index 1d62818e..7337baad 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/buffer/save.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/buffer/save.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package buffer
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
@@ -12,6 +11,9 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/config"
 	. "github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/util"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/htmlindex"
+	"golang.org/x/text/transform"
 )
 
 // LargeFileThreshold is the number of bytes when fastdirty is forced
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ const LargeFileThreshold = 50000
 // overwriteFile opens the given file for writing, truncating if one exists, and then calls
 // the supplied function with the file as io.Writer object, also making sure the file is
 // closed afterwards.
-func overwriteFile(name string, fn func(io.Writer) error) (err error) {
+func overwriteFile(name string, enc encoding.Encoding, fn func(io.Writer) error) (err error) {
 	var file *os.File
 
 	if file, err = os.OpenFile(name, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644); err != nil {
@@ -34,13 +36,14 @@ func overwriteFile(name string, fn func(io.Writer) error) (err error) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	w := bufio.NewWriter(file)
+	w := transform.NewWriter(file, enc.NewEncoder())
+	// w := bufio.NewWriter(file)
 
 	if err = fn(w); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	err = w.Flush()
+	// err = w.Flush()
 	return
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +108,12 @@ func (b *Buffer) SaveAs(filename string) error {
 
 	var fileSize int
 
-	err := overwriteFile(absFilename, func(file io.Writer) (e error) {
+	enc, err := htmlindex.Get(b.Settings["encoding"].(string))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = overwriteFile(absFilename, enc, func(file io.Writer) (e error) {
 		if len(b.lines) == 0 {
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/micro/buffer/serialize.go b/cmd/micro/buffer/serialize.go
index ccafd1a6..821f0c7a 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/buffer/serialize.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/buffer/serialize.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/config"
 	. "github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/util"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/unicode"
 )
 
 // The SerializedBuffer holds the types that get serialized when a buffer is saved
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ func (b *Buffer) Serialize() error {
 
 	name := config.ConfigDir + "/buffers/" + EscapePath(b.AbsPath)
 
-	return overwriteFile(name, func(file io.Writer) error {
+	return overwriteFile(name, unicode.UTF8, func(file io.Writer) error {
 		err := gob.NewEncoder(file).Encode(SerializedBuffer{
 			b.EventHandler,
 			b.GetActiveCursor().Loc,
diff --git a/cmd/micro/buffer/settings.go b/cmd/micro/buffer/settings.go
index d7144ca9..fb66d5d9 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/buffer/settings.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/buffer/settings.go
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ func (b *Buffer) SetOption(option, value string) error {
 		} else {
 			b.UpdateRules()
 		}
+	} else if option == "encoding" {
+		b.isModified = true
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/cmd/micro/config/settings.go b/cmd/micro/config/settings.go
index 01126d17..8bf7f3fe 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/config/settings.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/config/settings.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/flynn/json5"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/glob"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/cmd/micro/util"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/htmlindex"
 )
 
 type optionValidator func(string, interface{}) error
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ var optionValidators = map[string]optionValidator{
 	"colorscheme":  validateColorscheme,
 	"colorcolumn":  validateNonNegativeValue,
 	"fileformat":   validateLineEnding,
+	"encoding":     validateEncoding,
 }
 
 func ReadSettings() error {
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ func DefaultCommonSettings() map[string]interface{} {
 		"basename":       false,
 		"colorcolumn":    float64(0),
 		"cursorline":     true,
+		"encoding":       "utf-8",
 		"eofnewline":     false,
 		"fastdirty":      true,
 		"fileformat":     "unix",
@@ -291,3 +294,8 @@ func validateLineEnding(option string, value interface{}) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func validateEncoding(option string, value interface{}) error {
+	_, err := htmlindex.Get(value.(string))
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/cmd/micro/display/bufwindow.go b/cmd/micro/display/bufwindow.go
index 9e4e7659..003e6e7a 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/display/bufwindow.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/display/bufwindow.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package display
 
 import (
-	"log"
 	"strconv"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
@@ -454,9 +453,7 @@ func (w *BufWindow) displayBuffer() {
 				}
 
 				if s, ok := config.Colorscheme["color-column"]; ok {
-					log.Println(vloc.X - w.gutterOffset)
 					if colorcolumn != 0 && vloc.X-w.gutterOffset == colorcolumn {
-						log.Println("display colorcolumn")
 						fg, _, _ := s.Decompose()
 						style = style.Background(fg)
 					}
diff --git a/cmd/micro/display/infowindow.go b/cmd/micro/display/infowindow.go
index 111bfcd0..4474781d 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/display/infowindow.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/display/infowindow.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package display
 
 import (
-	"log"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	runewidth "github.com/mattn/go-runewidth"
@@ -152,10 +151,8 @@ var keydisplay = []string{"^Q Quit, ^S Save, ^O Open, ^G Help, ^E Command Bar, ^
 func (i *InfoWindow) displayKeyMenu() {
 	// TODO: maybe make this based on the actual keybindings
 
-	log.Println("hi", len(keydisplay), i.Width)
 	for y := 0; y < len(keydisplay); y++ {
 		for x := 0; x < i.Width; x++ {
-			log.Println(x, i.Y-len(keydisplay)+y)
 			if x < len(keydisplay[y]) {
 				screen.Screen.SetContent(x, i.Y-len(keydisplay)+y, rune(keydisplay[y][x]), nil, config.DefStyle)
 			} else {
diff --git a/cmd/micro/display/statusline.go b/cmd/micro/display/statusline.go
index e4a26913..f03345f0 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/display/statusline.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/display/statusline.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type StatusLine struct {
 // NewStatusLine returns a statusline bound to a window
 func NewStatusLine(win *BufWindow) *StatusLine {
 	s := new(StatusLine)
-	s.FormatLeft = "$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(opt:filetype) $(opt:fileformat)"
+	s.FormatLeft = "$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(opt:filetype) $(opt:fileformat) $(opt:encoding)"
 	// s.FormatLeft = "$(filename) $(modified)(line,col) $(opt:filetype) $(opt:fileformat)"
 	s.FormatRight = "$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): show bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp): toggle help"
 	s.Info = map[string]func(*buffer.Buffer) string{
diff --git a/cmd/micro/info/infobuffer.go b/cmd/micro/info/infobuffer.go
index 3ea3c8b0..d1d299c4 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/info/infobuffer.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/info/infobuffer.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ type InfoBuf struct {
 	HasYN      bool
 
 	HasSuggestions bool
-	Suggestions    []string
 
 	PromptType string