diff --git a/lib/tools/common/patching_utils.py b/lib/tools/common/patching_utils.py
index c102d2f6d1..074732364e 100644
--- a/lib/tools/common/patching_utils.py
+++ b/lib/tools/common/patching_utils.py
@@ -173,7 +173,13 @@ class PatchFileInDir:
 		patches: list[PatchInPatchFile] = []
 		msg: mailbox.mboxMessage
 		for msg in mbox:
-			patch: str = msg.get_payload()
+			patch: str
+			try:
+				patch = msg.get_payload(decode=True).decode("utf-8")
+			except UnicodeDecodeError as e:
+				log.error(f"Error decoding UTF-8 mbox payload in file {self.full_file_path()}(:{counter}): {e}")
+				patch = msg.get_payload()  # this will mangle valid utf-8
+
 			# split the patch itself and the description from the payload
 			desc, patch_contents = self.split_description_and_patch(patch)
 			if len(patch_contents) == 0: