diff --git a/jps/model-serialization/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/serialization/JpsEncodingModelSerializerExtension.java b/jps/model-serialization/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/serialization/JpsEncodingModelSerializerExtension.java
index 191423c1b099..05d8752fe0d3 100644
--- a/jps/model-serialization/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/serialization/JpsEncodingModelSerializerExtension.java
+++ b/jps/model-serialization/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/serialization/JpsEncodingModelSerializerExtension.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.jetbrains.jps.model.serialization;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.JDOMUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.CharsetToolkit;
 import org.jdom.Element;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.jps.model.JpsEncodingConfigurationService;
@@ -84,6 +85,11 @@ public class JpsEncodingModelSerializerExtension extends JpsModelSerializerExten
       JpsEncodingConfigurationService.getInstance().setGlobalEncoding(global, StringUtil.nullize(encoding));
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void loadExtensionWithDefaultSettings(@NotNull JpsGlobal global) {
+      JpsEncodingConfigurationService.getInstance().setGlobalEncoding(global, CharsetToolkit.UTF8);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void saveExtension(@NotNull JpsGlobal global, @NotNull Element componentTag) {
       componentTag.setAttribute(ENCODING_ATTRIBUTE, JpsEncodingConfigurationService.getInstance().getGlobalEncoding(global));