diff --git a/src/mailserver.js b/src/mailserver.js
index 6f5aded93..2f5cdcca2 100644
--- a/src/mailserver.js
+++ b/src/mailserver.js
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ async function configureMail(mailFqdn, mailDomain, serviceConfig) {
                 ${readOnly} -v /run -v /tmp ${image} ${cmd}`;
 
     debug('configureMail: starting mail container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 }
 
 async function restart() {
diff --git a/src/services.js b/src/services.js
index 9e133f376..8ebfa947b 100644
--- a/src/services.js
+++ b/src/services.js
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ async function startTurn(existingInfra) {
     await docker.deleteContainer('turn');
 
     debug('startTurn: starting turn container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 
     if (existingInfra.version !== 'none' && existingInfra.images.turn !== image) await docker.deleteImage(existingInfra.images.turn);
 }
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ async function startMysql(existingInfra) {
     await docker.deleteContainer('mysql');
 
     debug('startMysql: starting mysql container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 
     if (!serviceConfig.recoveryMode) {
         await waitForContainer('mysql', 'CLOUDRON_MYSQL_TOKEN');
@@ -1465,7 +1465,7 @@ async function startPostgresql(existingInfra) {
     await docker.deleteContainer('postgresql');
 
     debug('startPostgresql: starting postgresql container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 
     if (!serviceConfig.recoveryMode) {
         await waitForContainer('postgresql', 'CLOUDRON_POSTGRESQL_TOKEN');
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@ async function startMongodb(existingInfra) {
     }
 
     debug('startMongodb: starting mongodb container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 
     if (!serviceConfig.recoveryMode) {
         await waitForContainer('mongodb', 'CLOUDRON_MONGODB_TOKEN');
@@ -1789,7 +1789,7 @@ async function startGraphite(existingInfra) {
     if (upgrading) await shell.promises.sudo([ RMADDONDIR_CMD, 'graphite' ], {});
 
     debug('startGraphite: starting graphite container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 
     if (existingInfra.version !== 'none' && existingInfra.images.graphite !== image) await docker.deleteImage(existingInfra.images.graphite);
 
@@ -1938,7 +1938,7 @@ async function setupRedis(app, options) {
 
     const [inspectError, result] = await safe(docker.inspect(redisName));
     if (inspectError) {
-        await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+        await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
     } else { // fast path
         debug(`Re-using existing redis container with state: ${JSON.stringify(result.State)}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/sftp.js b/src/sftp.js
index 2985d420a..290faf214 100644
--- a/src/sftp.js
+++ b/src/sftp.js
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ async function start(existingInfra) {
     await docker.deleteContainer('sftp');
 
     debug('startSftp: starting sftp container');
-    await shell.bash(runCmd, {});
+    await shell.bash(runCmd, { encoding: 'utf8' });
 
     if (existingInfra.version !== 'none' && existingInfra.images.sftp !== image) await docker.deleteImage(existingInfra.images.sftp);
 }