diff --git a/buildtools/config.py b/buildtools/config.py
index cb1055d4..4c262afd 100644
--- a/buildtools/config.py
+++ b/buildtools/config.py
@@ -784,6 +784,7 @@ def textfile_open(filename, mode='rt'):
     assert 't' in mode
     if sys.version_info < (3,):
         import codecs
+        mode = mode.replace('t', '')
         return codecs.open(filename, mode, encoding='utf-8')
     else:
         return open(filename, mode, encoding='utf-8')
diff --git a/etgtools/generators.py b/etgtools/generators.py
index 6829ede4..5ce3f34e 100644
--- a/etgtools/generators.py
+++ b/etgtools/generators.py
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ def textfile_open(filename, mode='rt'):
     assert 't' in mode
     if sys.version_info < (3,):
         import codecs
+        mode = mode.replace('t', '')
         return codecs.open(filename, mode, encoding='utf-8')
     else:
         return open(filename, mode, encoding='utf-8')