diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f041b4f..fc7226c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ venv/
 ENV/
 env.bak/
 venv.bak/
-
+.idea
 # Spyder project settings
 .spyderproject
 .spyproject
diff --git a/gedcom/parser.py b/gedcom/parser.py
index 74f40c7..dfeda15 100644
--- a/gedcom/parser.py
+++ b/gedcom/parser.py
@@ -134,27 +134,29 @@ def get_root_child_elements(self):
         """
         return self.get_root_element().get_child_elements()
 
-    def parse_file(self, file_path, strict=True):
+    def parse_file(self, file_path, strict=True, encoding='utf-8-sig'):
         """Opens and parses a file, from the given file path, as GEDCOM 5.5 formatted data
         :type file_path: str
         :type strict: bool
+        :type encoding: string
         """
         with open(file_path, 'rb') as gedcom_stream:
-            self.parse(gedcom_stream, strict)
+            self.parse(gedcom_stream, strict, encoding)
 
-    def parse(self, gedcom_stream, strict=True):
+    def parse(self, gedcom_stream, strict=True, encoding='utf-8-sig'):
         """Parses a stream, or an array of lines, as GEDCOM 5.5 formatted data
         :type gedcom_stream: a file stream, or str array of lines with new line at the end
         :type strict: bool
+        :type encoding: string
         """
         self.invalidate_cache()
         self.__root_element = RootElement()
 
         line_number = 1
         last_element = self.get_root_element()
-
+        decode_errors_handling = 'strict' if strict else 'ignore'
         for line in gedcom_stream:
-            last_element = self.__parse_line(line_number, line.decode('utf-8-sig'), last_element, strict)
+            last_element = self.__parse_line(line_number, line.decode(encoding, errors=decode_errors_handling), last_element, strict)
             line_number += 1
 
     # Private methods
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 72771ec..3247870 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name='python-gedcom',
-    version='1.0.0',
+    version='1.0.1',
     description='A Python module for parsing, analyzing, and manipulating GEDCOM files.',
     long_description=long_description,
     long_description_content_type='text/markdown',