diff --git a/scripts/update_localization.py b/scripts/update_localization.py
index 6baa6d47e..61fb6c5b9 100644
--- a/scripts/update_localization.py
+++ b/scripts/update_localization.py
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ source_exts = [".c", ".cpp", ".h"]
 def parse_source():
 	stringtable = {}
 	def process_line(line):
-		if 'Localize("' in line:
-			fields = line.split('Localize("', 1)[1].split('"', 1)
+		if b'Localize("' in line:
+			fields = line.split(b'Localize("', 1)[1].split(b'"', 1)
 			stringtable[fields[0]] = ""
 			process_line(fields[1])
 
@@ -23,21 +23,21 @@ def parse_source():
 			if filename[-2:] in source_exts or filename[-4:] in source_exts:
 				for line in open(filename, "rb"):
 					process_line(line)
-	
+
 	return stringtable
 
 def load_languagefile(filename):
 	f = open(filename, "rb")
 	lines = f.readlines()
 	f.close()
-	
+
 	stringtable = {}
 
 	for i in range(0, len(lines)-1):
-		l = lines[i].decode("utf-8").strip()
-		if len(l) and not l[0] == '=' and not l[0] == '#':
-			stringtable[l] = lines[i+1][3:].decode("utf-8").rstrip()
-	
+		l = lines[i].strip()
+		if len(l) and not l[0:1] == b"=" and not l[0:1] == b"#":
+			stringtable[l] = lines[i+1][3:].rstrip()
+
 	return stringtable
 
 def generate_languagefile(outputfilename, srctable, loctable):
@@ -52,28 +52,27 @@ def generate_languagefile(outputfilename, srctable, loctable):
 		srctable_keys.append(key)
 	srctable_keys.sort()
 
-	content = "\n##### translated strings #####\n\n"
+	content = b"\n##### translated strings #####\n\n"
 	for k in srctable_keys:
 		if k in loctable and len(loctable[k]):
-			content += "%s\n== %s\n\n" % (k, loctable[k])
+			content += k + b"\n== " + loctable[k] + b"\n\n"
 			num_items += 1
 
-
-	content += "##### needs translation #####\n\n"
+	content += b"##### needs translation #####\n\n"
 	for k in srctable_keys:
 		if not k in loctable or len(loctable[k]) == 0:
-			content += "%s\n== \n\n" % (k)
+			content += k + b"\n== \n\n"
 			num_items += 1
 			new_items += 1
 
-	content += "##### old translations #####\n\n"
+	content += b"##### old translations #####\n\n"
 	for k in loctable:
 		if not k in srctable:
-			content += "%s\n== %s\n\n" % (k, loctable[k])
+			content += k + b"\n== " + loctable[k] + b"\n\n"
 			num_items += 1
 			old_items += 1
-	
-	f.write(content.encode("utf-8"))
+
+	f.write(content)
 	f.close()
 	print("%-40s %8d %8d %8d" % (outputfilename, num_items, new_items, old_items))
 
@@ -86,6 +85,6 @@ for filename in os.listdir("../data/languages"):
 		continue
 	if filename == "index.txt":
 		continue
-		
+
 	filename = "../data/languages/" + filename
 	generate_languagefile(filename, srctable, load_languagefile(filename))