diff --git a/src/project.coffee b/src/project.coffee
index 6ca5104e4..b5477db5f 100644
--- a/src/project.coffee
+++ b/src/project.coffee
@@ -309,7 +309,6 @@ class Project extends Model
 
   buildEditorForBuffer: (buffer, editorOptions) ->
     editor = new TextEditor(_.extend({buffer, registerEditor: true}, editorOptions))
-    editor.setEncoding(atom.config.get(editor.getRootScopeDescriptor(), "core.fileEncoding"))
     editor
 
   eachBuffer: (args...) ->
diff --git a/src/text-editor.coffee b/src/text-editor.coffee
index f69243da1..f3b3bc5c2 100644
--- a/src/text-editor.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor.coffee
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
 
     @languageMode = new LanguageMode(this)
 
+    @setEncoding(atom.config.get(@getRootScopeDescriptor(), "core.fileEncoding"))
+
     @subscribe @$scrollTop, (scrollTop) =>
       @emit 'scroll-top-changed', scrollTop
       @emitter.emit 'did-change-scroll-top', scrollTop