diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 23ea5c5..85ccdbb 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Change Log
 
+# 0.3.1
+    * Fix extension support for configuring encoding
+    * Make default encoding UTF-8
+
 * 0.3.0
     * IntelliJ: register generated source directories even if they don't already exist.
     * Add avro-base plugin, which exposes tasks and the extension without creating tasks, defaults, etc.
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroBasePlugin.java b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroBasePlugin.java
index c05d6cd..b116e9f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroBasePlugin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroBasePlugin.java
@@ -19,7 +19,14 @@ public void apply(final Project project) {
 
     private static void configureExtension(final Project project) {
         final AvroExtension avroExtension = project.getExtensions().create(AVRO_EXTENSION_NAME, DefaultAvroExtension.class);
-        conventionMapping(avroExtension).map("stringType", new Callable<String>() {
+        ConventionMapping extensionMapping = conventionMapping(avroExtension);
+        extensionMapping.map("encoding", new Callable<String>() {
+            @Override
+            public String call() throws Exception {
+                return Constants.UTF8_ENCONDING;
+            }
+        });
+        extensionMapping.map("stringType", new Callable<String>() {
             @Override
             public String call() throws Exception {
                 return GenericData.StringType.String.name();
@@ -28,7 +35,14 @@ public String call() throws Exception {
         project.getTasks().withType(GenerateAvroJavaTask.class).all(new Action<GenerateAvroJavaTask>() {
             @Override
             public void execute(GenerateAvroJavaTask task) {
-                conventionMapping(task).map("stringType", new Callable<String>() {
+                ConventionMapping taskMapping = conventionMapping(task);
+                taskMapping.map("encoding", new Callable<String>() {
+                    @Override
+                    public String call() throws Exception {
+                        return avroExtension.getEncoding();
+                    }
+                });
+                taskMapping.map("stringType", new Callable<String>() {
                     @Override
                     public String call() throws Exception {
                         return avroExtension.getStringType();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroExtension.java b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroExtension.java
index 1c5c25e..c6bc904 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroExtension.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/AvroExtension.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.commercehub.gradle.plugin.avro;
 
 public interface AvroExtension {
+    String getEncoding();
     String getStringType();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/DefaultAvroExtension.java b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/DefaultAvroExtension.java
index e848f55..8787de2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/DefaultAvroExtension.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/DefaultAvroExtension.java
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
 package com.commercehub.gradle.plugin.avro;
 
 public class DefaultAvroExtension implements AvroExtension {
+    private String encoding;
     private String stringType;
 
+    @Override
+    public String getEncoding() {
+        return encoding;
+    }
+
+    public void setEncoding(String encoding) {
+        this.encoding = encoding;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String getStringType() {
         return stringType;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/GenerateAvroJavaTask.java b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/GenerateAvroJavaTask.java
index a2eb870..db0bdde 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/GenerateAvroJavaTask.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commercehub/gradle/plugin/avro/GenerateAvroJavaTask.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 public class GenerateAvroJavaTask extends OutputDirTask {
     private static Set<String> SUPPORTED_EXTENSIONS = SetBuilder.build(PROTOCOL_EXTENSION, SCHEMA_EXTENSION);
 
-    private String encoding;
+    private String encoding = Constants.UTF8_ENCONDING;
 
     private String stringType;
 
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ private GenericData.StringType parseStringType() {
 
     @TaskAction
     protected void process() {
+        getLogger().debug("Using encoding {}", getEncoding());
         getLogger().info("Found {} files", getInputs().getSourceFiles().getFiles().size());
         failOnUnsupportedFiles();
         preClean();
@@ -109,9 +110,7 @@ private void processProtoFile(File sourceFile) {
             Protocol protocol = Protocol.parse(sourceFile);
             SpecificCompiler compiler = new SpecificCompiler(protocol);
             compiler.setStringType(parseStringType());
-            if (encoding != null) {
-                compiler.setOutputCharacterEncoding(encoding);
-            }
+            compiler.setOutputCharacterEncoding(getEncoding());
             compiler.compileToDestination(sourceFile, getOutputDir());
         } catch (IOException ex) {
             throw new GradleException(String.format("Failed to compile protocol definition file %s", sourceFile), ex);
@@ -140,9 +139,7 @@ private int processSchemaFiles() {
                     Schema schema = parser.parse(sourceFile);
                     SpecificCompiler compiler = new SpecificCompiler(schema);
                     compiler.setStringType(parseStringType());
-                    if (encoding != null) {
-                        compiler.setOutputCharacterEncoding(encoding);
-                    }
+                    compiler.setOutputCharacterEncoding(getEncoding());
                     compiler.compileToDestination(sourceFile, getOutputDir());
                     types = parser.getTypes();
                     getLogger().info("Processed {}", sourceFile);