diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FileValue.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FileValue.java
index 2572c31..9fbad13 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FileValue.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FileValue.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 
   /** The lowest level raw String read of the file */
   protected String read() throws IOException {
-    return Fs.readFile(path);
+    return Fs.readUtf8(path);
   }
 
   /** Serialize object to given tmp file in preparation to call update() */
@@ -92,6 +92,6 @@
 
   /** Low level raw string write to given tmp file in preparation to call update(). */
   protected static void prepare(Path tmp, String s) throws IOException {
-    Files.write(tmp, s.getBytes());
+    Fs.writeUtf8(tmp, s);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/Fs.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/Fs.java
index 4b162ce..96f7db1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/Fs.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/Fs.java
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
   }
 
   /** Read the contents of a UTF_8 encoded file as a String */
-  public static String readFile(Path file) throws IOException {
+  public static String readUtf8(Path file) throws IOException {
     StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer();
     for (String line : Files.readAllLines(file, StandardCharsets.UTF_8)) {
       buffer.append(line);
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@
     return buffer.toString();
   }
 
+  /** Write the contents of a String as a UTF_8 encoded file */
+  public static void writeUtf8(Path file, String s) throws IOException {
+    Files.write(file, s.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+  }
+
   /** Get the first entry in a directory. */
   public static Path getFirstDirEntry(Path dir) throws IOException {
     try (DirectoryStream<Path> dirEntries = Files.newDirectoryStream(dir)) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FsStore.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FsStore.java
index a9cec81..67c9ff6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FsStore.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/FsStore.java
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
     if (cachedTail.isLessThanOrEqualTo(num, MAX_GET_SPINS)
         && cachedHead.isGreaterThanOrEqualTo(num, MAX_GET_SPINS)) {
       try {
-        return Fs.readFile(paths.events.path(num));
+        return Fs.readUtf8(paths.events.path(num));
       } catch (NoSuchFileException e) {
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/EventSequenceTest.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/EventSequenceTest.java
index 54618ff..23fe774 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/EventSequenceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/events/fsstore/EventSequenceTest.java
@@ -66,6 +66,6 @@
     EventSequence.UniqueUpdate up = seq.spinSubmit(event, maxSpins);
     assertEquals(next, seq.get());
     assertNotNull(up.destination);
-    assertEquals(event, Fs.readFile(up.destination));
+    assertEquals(event, Fs.readUtf8(up.destination));
   }
 }