diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index e3153d9..44982f2 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -29,3 +29,4 @@ Please keep the lists sorted alphabetically.
 * Matthijs van der Boon
 * Mayank Mittal
 * Zhang Chong
+* Ziqi Fan
diff --git a/rsl_rl/utils/utils.py b/rsl_rl/utils/utils.py
index f8d3103..00a13be 100644
--- a/rsl_rl/utils/utils.py
+++ b/rsl_rl/utils/utils.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def store_code_state(logdir, repositories) -> list:
             continue
         # write the diff file
         print(f"Storing git diff for '{repo_name}' in: {diff_file_name}")
-        with open(diff_file_name, "x") as f:
+        with open(diff_file_name, "x", encoding="utf-8") as f:
             content = f"--- git status ---\n{repo.git.status()} \n\n\n--- git diff ---\n{repo.git.diff(t)}"
             f.write(content)
         # add the file path to the list of files to be uploaded