diff --git a/src/west/app/project.py b/src/west/app/project.py
index a046b65c..0ffe1e5a 100644
--- a/src/west/app/project.py
+++ b/src/west/app/project.py
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ def bootstrap(self, args) -> Path:
         # Parse the manifest to get "self: path:", if it declares one.
         # Otherwise, use the URL. Ignore imports -- all we really
         # want to know is if there's a "self: path:" or not.
-        manifest = Manifest.from_data(temp_manifest.read_text(),
+        manifest = Manifest.from_data(temp_manifest.read_text(encoding=Manifest.encoding),
                                       import_flags=ImportFlag.IGNORE)
         if manifest.yaml_path:
             manifest_path = manifest.yaml_path
@@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@ def update_importer(self, project, path):
         self.updated.add(project.name)
 
         try:
-            return _manifest_content_at(project, path)
+            return _manifest_content_at(project, path, Manifest.encoding)
         except FileNotFoundError:
             # FIXME we need each project to have back-pointers
             # to the manifest file where it was defined, so we can
diff --git a/src/west/manifest.py b/src/west/manifest.py
index e28faded..4cabef51 100644
--- a/src/west/manifest.py
+++ b/src/west/manifest.py
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ def _west_commands_merge(wc1: List[str], wc2: List[str]) -> List[str]:
 def _default_importer(project: 'Project', file: str) -> NoReturn:
     raise ManifestImportFailed(project, file)
 
-def _manifest_content_at(project: 'Project', path: PathType,
+def _manifest_content_at(project: 'Project', path: PathType, mf_encoding: str,
                          rev: str = QUAL_MANIFEST_REV_BRANCH) \
                                 -> ImportedContentType:
     # Get a list of manifest data from project at path
@@ -272,19 +272,22 @@ def _manifest_content_at(project: 'Project', path: PathType,
         # enough!
         raise OSError(errno.ENOENT, os.strerror(errno.ENOENT), path)
 
-    ptype = out.decode('utf-8').split()[1]
+    # TODO: does git always output utf-8? Test git config 'core.precomposeunicode' etc.
+    git_filenames_encoding = 'utf-8'
+    ptype = out.decode(git_filenames_encoding).split()[1]
 
     if ptype == 'blob':
         # Importing a file: just return its content.
-        return project.read_at(path, rev=rev).decode('utf-8')
+        return project.read_at(path, rev=rev).decode(mf_encoding)
     elif ptype == 'tree':
         # Importing a tree: return the content of the YAML files inside it.
         ret = []
         # Use a PurePosixPath because that's the form git seems to
         # store internally, even on Windows.
         pathobj = PurePosixPath(path)
-        for f in filter(_is_yml, project.listdir_at(path, rev=rev)):
-            ret.append(project.read_at(pathobj / f, rev=rev).decode('utf-8'))
+        for f in filter(_is_yml, project.listdir_at(path, rev=rev,
+                                                    encoding=git_filenames_encoding)):
+            ret.append(project.read_at(pathobj / f, rev=rev).decode(mf_encoding))
         return ret
     else:
         raise MalformedManifest(f"can't decipher project {project.name} "
@@ -1184,6 +1187,9 @@ class Manifest:
     '''The parsed contents of a west manifest file.
     '''
 
+    # TODO: make this a new west config: 'manifest.encoding'
+    encoding: str = 'utf-8'
+
     @staticmethod
     def from_topdir(topdir: Optional[PathType] = None,
                     config: Optional[Configuration] = None,
@@ -1902,7 +1908,7 @@ def get_option(option, default=None):
             current_relpath = manifest_path / manifest_file
             current_abspath = topdir_abspath / current_relpath
             try:
-                current_data = current_abspath.read_text(encoding='utf-8')
+                current_data = current_abspath.read_text(encoding=Manifest.encoding)
             except FileNotFoundError:
                 raise MalformedConfig(
                     f'file not found: manifest file {current_abspath} '
@@ -2201,7 +2207,7 @@ def _import_pathobj_from_self(self, pathobj_abs: Path,
         child_ctx = self._ctx._replace(
             current_abspath=pathobj_abs,
             current_relpath=pathobj,
-            current_data=pathobj_abs.read_text(encoding='utf-8')
+            current_data=pathobj_abs.read_text(encoding=Manifest.encoding)
         )
         try:
             Manifest(topdir=self.topdir, internal_import_ctx=child_ctx)
@@ -2239,7 +2245,7 @@ def _import_map_from_self(self, imp: Dict) -> None:
                 path_prefix=path_prefix,
                 current_abspath=import_abs,
                 current_relpath=pathobj / import_abs.name,
-                current_data=import_abs.read_text(encoding='utf-8')
+                current_data=import_abs.read_text(encoding=Manifest.encoding)
             )
             try:
                 Manifest(topdir=self.topdir, internal_import_ctx=child_ctx)
@@ -2572,7 +2578,7 @@ def _import_content_from_project(self, project: Project,
         if not (self._ctx.import_flags & ImportFlag.FORCE_PROJECTS) and \
            project.is_cloned():
             try:
-                content = _manifest_content_at(project, path)
+                content = _manifest_content_at(project, path, Manifest.encoding)
             except MalformedManifest as mm:
                 self._malformed(mm.args[0])
             except FileNotFoundError: