diff --git a/src/ahriman/core/utils.py b/src/ahriman/core/utils.py
index 50a7ec2e..03864790 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/core/utils.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/core/utils.py
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ def check_output(*args: str, exception: Exception | Callable[[int, list[str], st
     } | environment
 
     with subprocess.Popen(args, cwd=cwd, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-                          user=user, env=full_environment, text=True, encoding="utf8", bufsize=1) as process:
+                          user=user, env=full_environment, text=True, encoding="utf8", errors="backslashreplace",
+                          bufsize=1) as process:
         if input_data is not None:
             input_channel = get_io(process, "stdin")
             input_channel.write(input_data)
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/core/test_utils.py b/tests/ahriman/core/test_utils.py
index 1b65a90c..deafc04e 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/core/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/core/test_utils.py
@@ -150,6 +150,13 @@ def test_check_output_empty_line(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     logger_mock.assert_has_calls([MockCall(""), MockCall("hello")])
 
 
+def test_check_output_encoding_error(resource_path_root: Path) -> None:
+    """
+    must correctly process unicode encoding error in command output
+    """
+    assert check_output("cat", str(resource_path_root / "models" / "package_pacman-static_pkgbuild"))
+
+
 def test_check_user(repository_id: RepositoryId, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     """
     must check user correctly