diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index 1fcef6ce1c8..0615a430fd5 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -424,8 +424,8 @@ class TestNode():
     def wallets_path(self) -> Path:
         return self.chain_path / "wallets"
 
-    def debug_log_bytes(self) -> int:
-        with open(self.debug_log_path, encoding='utf-8') as dl:
+    def debug_log_size(self, **kwargs) -> int:
+        with open(self.debug_log_path, **kwargs) as dl:
             dl.seek(0, 2)
             return dl.tell()
 
@@ -434,13 +434,13 @@ class TestNode():
         if unexpected_msgs is None:
             unexpected_msgs = []
         time_end = time.time() + timeout * self.timeout_factor
-        prev_size = self.debug_log_bytes()
+        prev_size = self.debug_log_size(encoding="utf-8")  # Must use same encoding that is used to read() below
 
         yield
 
         while True:
             found = True
-            with open(self.debug_log_path, encoding='utf-8') as dl:
+            with open(self.debug_log_path, encoding="utf-8", errors="replace") as dl:
                 dl.seek(prev_size)
                 log = dl.read()
             print_log = " - " + "\n - ".join(log.splitlines())
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ class TestNode():
             the number of log lines we encountered when matching
         """
         time_end = time.time() + timeout * self.timeout_factor
-        prev_size = self.debug_log_bytes()
+        prev_size = self.debug_log_size(mode="rb")  # Must use same mode that is used to read() below
 
         yield
 
diff --git a/test/lint/lint-python-utf8-encoding.py b/test/lint/lint-python-utf8-encoding.py
index 64d04bff57c..8c9266470f1 100755
--- a/test/lint/lint-python-utf8-encoding.py
+++ b/test/lint/lint-python-utf8-encoding.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def check_fileopens():
         if e.returncode > 1:
             raise e
 
-    filtered_fileopens = [fileopen for fileopen in fileopens if not re.search(r"encoding=.(ascii|utf8|utf-8).|open\([^,]*, ['\"][^'\"]*b[^'\"]*['\"]", fileopen)]
+    filtered_fileopens = [fileopen for fileopen in fileopens if not re.search(r"encoding=.(ascii|utf8|utf-8).|open\([^,]*, (\*\*kwargs|['\"][^'\"]*b[^'\"]*['\"])", fileopen)]
 
     return filtered_fileopens