diff --git a/sandbox/grist/engine.py b/sandbox/grist/engine.py
index 1cac5704..3dd4c70e 100644
--- a/sandbox/grist/engine.py
+++ b/sandbox/grist/engine.py
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ import repl
 
 log = logger.Logger(__name__, logger.INFO)
 
+reload(sys)
+sys.setdefaultencoding('utf8')
+
+
 class OrderError(Exception):
   """
   An exception thrown and handled internally, representing when