diff --git a/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v1.py b/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v1.py
index bc5d6070..c667943e 100644
--- a/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v1.py
+++ b/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v1.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class GlanceV1Service(service.Service, glance_common.GlanceMixin):
 
         try:
             if os.path.isfile(image_location):
-                kwargs["data"] = open(image_location)
+                kwargs["data"] = open(image_location, "rb")
             else:
                 kwargs["copy_from"] = image_location
 
diff --git a/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v2.py b/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v2.py
index 070076ad..0bd8e171 100644
--- a/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v2.py
+++ b/rally_openstack/services/image/glance_v2.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class GlanceV2Service(service.Service, glance_common.GlanceMixin):
         response = None
         try:
             if os.path.isfile(image_location):
-                image_data = open(image_location)
+                image_data = open(image_location, "rb")
             else:
                 response = requests.get(image_location, stream=True)
                 image_data = response.raw
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v1.py b/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v1.py
index 0bc4ae18..5cb7f3bb 100755
--- a/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v1.py
+++ b/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v1.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class GlanceV1ServiceTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
         if location.startswith("/"):
             call_args["data"] = mock_open.return_value
-            mock_open.assert_called_once_with(location)
+            mock_open.assert_called_once_with(location, "rb")
             mock_open.return_value.close.assert_called_once_with()
         else:
             call_args["copy_from"] = location
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v2.py b/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v2.py
index 6369d143..3ea61ff7 100755
--- a/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v2.py
+++ b/tests/unit/services/image/test_glance_v2.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class GlanceV2ServiceTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.service.upload_data(image_id, image_location=location)
 
         if location.startswith("/"):
-            mock_open.assert_called_once_with(location)
+            mock_open.assert_called_once_with(location, "rb")
             mock_open.return_value.close.assert_called_once_with()
             self.gc.images.upload.assert_called_once_with(
                 image_id, mock_open.return_value)