diff --git a/docs/embeddings/cli.md b/docs/embeddings/cli.md
index 80cfa142..cbabbbd8 100644
--- a/docs/embeddings/cli.md
+++ b/docs/embeddings/cli.md
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ plugins/index.md
 ```
 Each corresponding to embedded content for the file in question.
 
-The `--prefix` option can be useful here to add a prefix to each ID:
+The `--prefix` option can be used to add a prefix to each ID:
 
 ```bash
 llm embed-multi documentation \
@@ -279,6 +279,19 @@ llm-docs/logging.md
 llm-docs/plugins/directory.md
 llm-docs/plugins/index.md
 ```
+Files are assumed to be `utf-8`, but LLM will fall back to `latin-1` if it encounters an encoding error. You can specify a different set of encodings using the `--encoding` option.
+
+This example will try `utf-16` first and then `mac_roman` before falling back to `latin-1`:
+```
+llm embed-multi documentation \
+  -m ada-002 \
+  --files docs '**/*.md' \
+  -d documentation.db \
+  --encoding utf-16 \
+  --encoding mac_roman \
+  --encoding latin-1
+```
+If a file cannot be read it will be logged to standard error but the script will keep on running.
 
 (embeddings-cli-similar)=
 ## llm similar
diff --git a/docs/help.md b/docs/help.md
index ed3593a8..a77c22cd 100644
--- a/docs/help.md
+++ b/docs/help.md
@@ -458,6 +458,7 @@ Options:
   --format [json|csv|tsv|nl]   Format of input file - defaults to auto-detect
   --files <DIRECTORY TEXT>...  Embed files in this directory - specify directory
                                and glob pattern
+  --encoding TEXT              Encoding to use when reading --files
   --sql TEXT                   Read input using this SQL query
   --attach <TEXT FILE>...      Additional databases to attach - specify alias
                                and file path
diff --git a/llm/cli.py b/llm/cli.py
index d0f48086..e6588ac5 100644
--- a/llm/cli.py
+++ b/llm/cli.py
@@ -1009,6 +1009,12 @@ def get_db():
     multiple=True,
     help="Embed files in this directory - specify directory and glob pattern",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "encodings",
+    "--encoding",
+    help="Encoding to use when reading --files",
+    multiple=True,
+)
 @click.option("--sql", help="Read input using this SQL query")
 @click.option(
     "--attach",
@@ -1026,7 +1032,17 @@ def get_db():
     envvar="LLM_EMBEDDINGS_DB",
 )
 def embed_multi(
-    collection, input_path, format, files, sql, attach, prefix, model, store, database
+    collection,
+    input_path,
+    format,
+    files,
+    encodings,
+    sql,
+    attach,
+    prefix,
+    model,
+    store,
+    database,
 ):
     """
     Store embeddings for multiple strings at once
@@ -1072,6 +1088,7 @@ def embed_multi(
 
     expected_length = None
     if files:
+        encodings = encodings or ("utf-8", "latin-1")
 
         def count_files():
             i = 0
@@ -1084,7 +1101,20 @@ def iterate_files():
             for directory, pattern in files:
                 for path in pathlib.Path(directory).glob(pattern):
                     relative = path.relative_to(directory)
-                    yield {"id": str(relative), "content": path.read_text()}
+                    content = None
+                    for encoding in encodings:
+                        try:
+                            content = path.read_text(encoding=encoding)
+                        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                            continue
+                    if content is None:
+                        # Log to stderr
+                        click.echo(
+                            "Could not decode text in file {}".format(path),
+                            err=True,
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        yield {"id": str(relative), "content": content}
 
         expected_length = count_files()
         rows = iterate_files()
diff --git a/tests/test_embed_cli.py b/tests/test_embed_cli.py
index 2f88f28b..25dd392d 100644
--- a/tests/test_embed_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_embed_cli.py
@@ -313,21 +313,40 @@ def test_embed_multi_sql(tmpdir, use_other_db, prefix):
     ]
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("scenario", ("single", "multi"))
-def test_embed_multi_files(tmpdir, scenario):
+@pytest.fixture
+def multi_files(tmpdir):
     db_path = str(tmpdir / "files.db")
     files = tmpdir / "files"
     for filename, content in (
-        ("file1.txt", "hello world"),
-        ("file2.txt", "goodbye world"),
-        ("nested/one.txt", "one"),
-        ("nested/two.txt", "two"),
-        ("nested/more/three.txt", "three"),
-        ("nested/more/ignored.ini", "Does not match glob"),
+        ("file1.txt", b"hello world"),
+        ("file2.txt", b"goodbye world"),
+        ("nested/one.txt", b"one"),
+        ("nested/two.txt", b"two"),
+        ("nested/more/three.txt", b"three"),
+        # This tests the fallback to latin-1 encoding:
+        ("nested/more/ignored.ini", b"Has weird \x96 character"),
     ):
         path = pathlib.Path(files / filename)
         path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        path.write_text(content, "utf-8")
+        path.write_bytes(content)
+    return db_path, tmpdir / "files"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("scenario", ("single", "multi"))
+def test_embed_multi_files(multi_files, scenario):
+    db_path, files = multi_files
+    for filename, content in (
+        ("file1.txt", b"hello world"),
+        ("file2.txt", b"goodbye world"),
+        ("nested/one.txt", b"one"),
+        ("nested/two.txt", b"two"),
+        ("nested/more/three.txt", b"three"),
+        # This tests the fallback to latin-1 encoding:
+        ("nested/more/ignored.ini", b"Has weird \x96 character"),
+    ):
+        path = pathlib.Path(files / filename)
+        path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        path.write_bytes(content)
 
     if scenario == "single":
         extra_args = ["--files", str(files), "**/*.txt"]
@@ -368,12 +387,56 @@ def test_embed_multi_files(tmpdir, scenario):
         ]
     else:
         assert rows == [
-            {"id": "ignored.ini", "content": "Does not match glob"},
+            {"id": "ignored.ini", "content": "Has weird \x96 character"},
             {"id": "two.txt", "content": "two"},
             {"id": "one.txt", "content": "one"},
         ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "extra_args,expected_error",
+    (
+        # With no args default utf-8 with latin-1 fallback should work
+        ([], None),
+        (["--encoding", "utf-8"], "Could not decode text in file"),
+        (["--encoding", "latin-1"], None),
+        (["--encoding", "latin-1", "--encoding", "utf-8"], None),
+        (["--encoding", "utf-8", "--encoding", "latin-1"], None),
+    ),
+)
+def test_embed_multi_files_encoding(multi_files, extra_args, expected_error):
+    db_path, files = multi_files
+    runner = CliRunner(mix_stderr=False)
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "embed-multi",
+            "files",
+            "-d",
+            db_path,
+            "-m",
+            "embed-demo",
+            "--files",
+            str(files / "nested" / "more"),
+            "*.ini",
+            "--store",
+        ]
+        + extra_args,
+    )
+    if expected_error:
+        # Should still succeed with 0, but show a warning
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert expected_error in result.stderr
+    else:
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert not result.stderr
+        embeddings_db = sqlite_utils.Database(db_path)
+        rows = list(embeddings_db.query("select id, content from embeddings"))
+        assert rows == [
+            {"id": "ignored.ini", "content": "Has weird \x96 character"},
+        ]
+
+
 def test_default_embedding_model():
     runner = CliRunner()
     result = runner.invoke(cli, ["embed-models", "default"])