diff --git a/bindings/python/setup.py b/bindings/python/setup.py
index 021c912c2e..9c9249c787 100755
--- a/bindings/python/setup.py
+++ b/bindings/python/setup.py
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
 from distutils.command.sdist import sdist
 from setuptools.command.bdist_egg import bdist_egg
 
+PYTHON2 = sys.version_info[0] == 2
+if PYTHON2:
+    import io
+
 SYSTEM = sys.platform
 
 # adapted from commit e504b81 of Nguyen Tan Cong
@@ -216,7 +220,7 @@ def run(self):
     author_email='aquynh@gmail.com',
     description='Capstone disassembly engine',
     url='https://www.capstone-engine.org',
-    long_description=open('README.txt', encoding="utf8").read(),
+    long_description=io.open('README.txt', encoding="utf8").read() if PYTHON2 else open('README.txt', encoding="utf8").read(),
     long_description_content_type='text/markdown',
     python_requires='>=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*',
     classifiers=[