diff --git a/visidata/path.py b/visidata/path.py
index 74b18bb1c..66703d3bb 100644
--- a/visidata/path.py
+++ b/visidata/path.py
@@ -238,9 +238,10 @@ def open(self, mode='rt', encoding=None, encoding_errors=None, newline=None):
             return self.rfile.reopen()
 
         if self.fp:
-            self.fptext = codecs.iterdecode(self.fp,
-                                            encoding=encoding or vd.options.encoding,
-                                            errors=encoding_errors or vd.options.encoding_errors)
+            if 'b' not in mode:
+                self.fptext = codecs.iterdecode(self.fp,
+                                                encoding=encoding or vd.options.encoding,
+                                                errors=encoding_errors or vd.options.encoding_errors)
 
         if self.fptext:
             self.rfile = RepeatFile(self.fptext)