diff --git a/pyfa.py b/pyfa.py
index 76b7ca336..eb029951d 100755
--- a/pyfa.py
+++ b/pyfa.py
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         config.saveInRoot = True
     config.defPaths()
 
+    # Basic logging
+    import logging
+    logging.basicConfig()
+
     # Import everything
     import wx
     import os
diff --git a/service/fit.py b/service/fit.py
index fac02bb5c..dfda754e0 100644
--- a/service/fit.py
+++ b/service/fit.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import locale
 import copy
 import threading
+import logging
 import wx
 from codecs import open
 
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ from service.fleet import Fleet
 from service.settings import SettingsProvider
 from service.port import Port
 
+logger = logging.getLogger("pyfa.service.fit")
 
 class FitBackupThread(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self, path, callback):
@@ -789,15 +791,28 @@ class Fit(object):
 
             file = open(path, "r")
             srcString = file.read()
+            codec_found = None
             # If file had ANSI encoding, convert it to unicode using system
-            # default codepage, or use fallback cp1252 on any encoding errors
+            # default codepage, or use fallbacks UTF-16, then cp1252 on any
+            # encoding errors
             if isinstance(srcString, str):
-                try:
-                    srcString = unicode(srcString, defcodepage)
-                except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                    srcString = unicode(srcString, "cp1252")
+                attempt_codecs = (defcodepage, "utf-16", "cp1252")
+                for page in attempt_codecs:
+                    try:
+                        srcString = unicode(srcString, page)
+                        codec_found = page
+                    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                        logger.warn("Error unicode decoding %s from page %s, trying next codec", path, page)
+                    else:
+                        break
+            else:
+                # nasty hack to detect other transparent utf-16 loading
+                if srcString[0] == '<' and 'utf-16' in srcString[:128].lower():
+                    codec_found = "utf-16"
+                else:
+                    codec_found = "utf-8"
 
-            _, fitsImport = Port.importAuto(srcString, path, callback=callback)
+            _, fitsImport = Port.importAuto(srcString, path, callback=callback, encoding=codec_found)
             fits += fitsImport
 
         IDs = []
diff --git a/service/port.py b/service/port.py
index e3bfe9dd7..e9a88ab3b 100644
--- a/service/port.py
+++ b/service/port.py
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ import xml.dom
 from eos.types import State, Slot, Module, Cargo, Fit, Ship, Drone, Implant, Booster
 import service
 import wx
+import logging
+
+logger = logging.getLogger("pyfa.service.port")
 
 try:
     from collections import OrderedDict
@@ -36,14 +39,14 @@ class Port(object):
     """Service which houses all import/export format functions"""
 
     @classmethod
-    def importAuto(cls, string, path=None, activeFit=None, callback=None):
+    def importAuto(cls, string, path=None, activeFit=None, callback=None, encoding=None):
         # Get first line and strip space symbols of it to avoid possible detection errors
         firstLine = re.split("[\n\r]+", string.strip(), maxsplit=1)[0]
         firstLine = firstLine.strip()
 
         # If XML-style start of tag encountered, detect as XML
         if re.match("<", firstLine):
-            return "XML", cls.importXml(string, callback)
+            return "XML", cls.importXml(string, callback, encoding)
 
         # If we've got source file name which is used to describe ship name
         # and first line contains something like [setup name], detect as eft config file
@@ -66,8 +69,16 @@ class Port(object):
         info = string.split(":")
 
         f = Fit()
-        f.ship = Ship(sMkt.getItem(int(info[0])))
-        f.name = "{0} - DNA Imported".format(f.ship.item.name)
+        try:
+            f.ship = Ship(sMkt.getItem(int(info[0])))
+            f.name = "{0} - DNA Imported".format(f.ship.item.name)
+        except UnicodeEncodeError as e:
+            def logtransform(s):
+                if len(s) > 10:
+                    return s[:10] + "..."
+                return s
+            logger.exception("Couldn't import ship data %r", [ logtransform(s) for s in info ])
+            return None
 
         for itemInfo in info[1:]:
             if itemInfo:
@@ -358,10 +369,10 @@ class Port(object):
         return fits
 
     @staticmethod
-    def importXml(text, callback=None):
+    def importXml(text, callback=None, encoding="utf-8"):
         sMkt = service.Market.getInstance()
 
-        doc = xml.dom.minidom.parseString(text.encode("utf-8"))
+        doc = xml.dom.minidom.parseString(text.encode(encoding))
         fittings = doc.getElementsByTagName("fittings").item(0)
         fittings = fittings.getElementsByTagName("fitting")
         fits = []