diff --git a/R/bundlePackage.R b/R/bundlePackage.R
index 43857457..5c209359 100644
--- a/R/bundlePackage.R
+++ b/R/bundlePackage.R
@@ -114,6 +114,6 @@ availablePackages <- function(repos) {
 }
 
 package_record <- function(name, lib_dir = NULL) {
-  path <- system.file("DESCRIPTION", package = name, lib.loc = lib_dir)
-  as.list(as.data.frame(read.dcf(path)))
+  record <- packageDescription(name, lib.loc = lib_dir, encoding = "UTF-8")
+  unclass(record)
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/DESCRIPTION b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/DESCRIPTION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e2278d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/DESCRIPTION
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Package: latin1package
+Type: Package
+Title: Provides some funky characters.
+Version: 0.1.0
+Author: Jens Fr�hling
+Maintainer: Jens Fr�hling <some.guy@i.made.him.up>
+Description: a test package
+License: GPL-2
+Encoding: latin1
+LazyData: true
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/NAMESPACE b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/NAMESPACE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d75f824e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/NAMESPACE
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exportPattern("^[[:alpha:]]+")
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/R/hello.R b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/R/hello.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97d59e2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/R/hello.R
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hello <- function() {
+  print("Hello, world!")
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/man/hello.Rd b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/man/hello.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fa7c4b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/latin1package/man/hello.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+\name{hello}
+\alias{hello}
+\title{Hello, World!}
+\usage{
+hello()
+}
+\description{
+Prints 'Hello, world!'.
+}
+\examples{
+hello()
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/DESCRIPTION b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/DESCRIPTION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef4ab6dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/DESCRIPTION
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Package: utf8package
+Type: Package
+Title: Provides some funky characters.
+Version: 0.1.0
+Author: Jens Fröhling
+Maintainer: Jens Fröhling <some.guy@i.made.him.up>
+Description: a test package
+License: GPL-2
+Encoding: UTF-8
+LazyData: true
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/NAMESPACE b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/NAMESPACE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d75f824e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/NAMESPACE
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exportPattern("^[[:alpha:]]+")
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/R/hello.R b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/R/hello.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97d59e2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/R/hello.R
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hello <- function() {
+  print("Hello, world!")
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/man/hello.Rd b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/man/hello.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fa7c4b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/utf8package/man/hello.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+\name{hello}
+\alias{hello}
+\title{Hello, World!}
+\usage{
+hello()
+}
+\description{
+Prints 'Hello, world!'.
+}
+\examples{
+hello()
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/DESCRIPTION b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/DESCRIPTION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6b3414f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/DESCRIPTION
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Package: windows1251package
+Type: Package
+Title: Provides some funky characters.
+Version: 0.1.0
+Author: ������ ����
+Maintainer: ������ ���� <some.guy@i.made.him.up>
+Description: a test package
+License: GPL-2
+Encoding: Windows-1251
+LazyData: true
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/NAMESPACE b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/NAMESPACE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d75f824e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/NAMESPACE
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exportPattern("^[[:alpha:]]+")
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/R/hello.R b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/R/hello.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97d59e2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/R/hello.R
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hello <- function() {
+  print("Hello, world!")
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/man/hello.Rd b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/man/hello.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fa7c4b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/packages/windows1251package/man/hello.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+\name{hello}
+\alias{hello}
+\title{Hello, World!}
+\usage{
+hello()
+}
+\description{
+Prints 'Hello, world!'.
+}
+\examples{
+hello()
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-bundlePackage.R b/tests/testthat/test-bundlePackage.R
index bf0520cb..140bc1e7 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-bundlePackage.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-bundlePackage.R
@@ -133,3 +133,14 @@ test_that("usePackrat prefers the environment variable over the option", {
   withr::local_options(rsconnect.packrat = TRUE)
   expect_false(usePackrat())
 })
+
+test_that("package_record works", {
+  latin1Record <- package_record("latin1package", lib_dir = test_path("packages"))
+  expect_equal(latin1Record$Author, "Jens Fröhling")
+
+  utf8Record <- package_record("utf8package", lib_dir = test_path("packages"))
+  expect_equal(utf8Record$Author, "Jens Fröhling")
+
+  windows1251Record <- package_record("windows1251package", lib_dir = test_path("packages"))
+  expect_equal(windows1251Record$Author, "Сергей Брин")
+})