diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index 8d3f9014..75b3d85e 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 		self.__lastDate = None
 		## External command
 		self.__ignoreCommand = False
+		## Default or preferred encoding (to decode bytes from file or journal):
+		self.__encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
 
 		self.dateDetector = DateDetector()
 		self.dateDetector.addDefaultTemplate()
@@ -280,6 +282,27 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 	def getMaxLines(self):
 		return self.__lineBufferSize
 
+	##
+	# Set the log file encoding
+	#
+	# @param encoding the encoding used with log files
+
+	def setLogEncoding(self, encoding):
+		if encoding.lower() == "auto":
+			encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
+		codecs.lookup(encoding) # Raise LookupError if invalid codec
+		self.__encoding = encoding
+		logSys.info("Set jail log file encoding to %s" % encoding)
+		return encoding
+
+	##
+	# Get the log file encoding
+	#
+	# @return log encoding value
+
+	def getLogEncoding(self):
+		return self.__encoding
+
 	##
 	# Main loop.
 	#
@@ -584,7 +607,6 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 		Filter.__init__(self, jail, **kwargs)
 		## The log file path.
 		self.__logs = dict()
-		self.setLogEncoding("auto")
 
 	##
 	# Add a log file path
@@ -655,21 +677,9 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 	# @param encoding the encoding used with log files
 
 	def setLogEncoding(self, encoding):
-		if encoding.lower() == "auto":
-			encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
-		codecs.lookup(encoding) # Raise LookupError if invalid codec
+		encoding = super(FileFilter, self).setLogEncoding(encoding)
 		for log in self.__logs.itervalues():
 			log.setEncoding(encoding)
-		self.__encoding = encoding
-		logSys.info("Set jail log file encoding to %s" % encoding)
-
-	##
-	# Get the log file encoding
-	#
-	# @return log encoding value
-
-	def getLogEncoding(self):
-		return self.__encoding
 
 	def getLog(self, path):
 		return self.__logs.get(path, None)
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filtersystemd.py b/fail2ban/server/filtersystemd.py
index 5c5481b9..3023155c 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filtersystemd.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filtersystemd.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ if LooseVersion(getattr(journal, '__version__', "0")) < '204':
 	raise ImportError("Fail2Ban requires systemd >= 204")
 
 from .failmanager import FailManagerEmpty
-from .filter import JournalFilter, Filter, locale
+from .filter import JournalFilter, Filter
 from .mytime import MyTime
 from ..helpers import getLogger, logging, splitwords
 
@@ -170,9 +170,8 @@ class FilterSystemd(JournalFilter): # pragma: systemd no cover
 	def getJournalMatch(self):
 		return self.__matches
 
-	@staticmethod
-	def uni_decode(x):
-		v = Filter.uni_decode(x, locale.getpreferredencoding())
+	def uni_decode(self, x):
+		v = Filter.uni_decode(x, self.getLogEncoding())
 		return v
 
 	##
@@ -181,10 +180,9 @@ class FilterSystemd(JournalFilter): # pragma: systemd no cover
 	# @param entry systemd journal entry dict
 	# @return format log line
 
-	@classmethod
-	def formatJournalEntry(cls, logentry):
+	def formatJournalEntry(self, logentry):
 		# Be sure, all argument of line tuple should have the same type:
-		uni_decode = FilterSystemd.uni_decode
+		uni_decode = self.uni_decode
 		logelements = []
 		v = logentry.get('_HOSTNAME')
 		if v:
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/server.py b/fail2ban/server/server.py
index f3d44829..abaf4dfd 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/server.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/server.py
@@ -237,13 +237,11 @@ class Server:
 	
 	def setLogEncoding(self, name, encoding):
 		filter_ = self.__jails[name].filter
-		if isinstance(filter_, FileFilter):
-			filter_.setLogEncoding(encoding)
+		filter_.setLogEncoding(encoding)
 	
 	def getLogEncoding(self, name):
 		filter_ = self.__jails[name].filter
-		if isinstance(filter_, FileFilter):
-			return filter_.getLogEncoding()
+		return filter_.getLogEncoding()
 	
 	def setFindTime(self, name, value):
 		self.__jails[name].filter.setFindTime(value)