diff --git a/lib/down/chunked_io.rb b/lib/down/chunked_io.rb
index 938391b..9d82760 100644
--- a/lib/down/chunked_io.rb
+++ b/lib/down/chunked_io.rb
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def read(length = nil, outbuf = nil)
 
       buffer.clear if buffer # deallocate string
 
-      data.force_encoding(@encoding) unless length
+      data.force_encoding(@encoding)
       data unless data.empty? && length && length > 0
     end
 
diff --git a/test/chunked_io_test.rb b/test/chunked_io_test.rb
index 028acbe..c3d0d51 100644
--- a/test/chunked_io_test.rb
+++ b/test/chunked_io_test.rb
@@ -154,16 +154,16 @@ def chunked_io(**options)
         assert_equal "bc", io.read(2)
       end
 
-      it "returns content in binary encoding" do
+      it "returns content in requested encoding" do
         io = chunked_io(chunks: ["ab", "c"].each)
         assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1).encoding
         io.rewind
         assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1).encoding
 
         io = chunked_io(chunks: ["ab", "c"].each, encoding: "utf-8")
-        assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1).encoding
+        assert_equal Encoding::UTF_8, io.read(1).encoding
         io.rewind
-        assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1).encoding
+        assert_equal Encoding::UTF_8, io.read(1).encoding
       end
     end
 
@@ -249,16 +249,16 @@ def chunked_io(**options)
         assert_equal "bc", io.read(2, "")
       end
 
-      it "returns content in binary encoding" do
+      it "returns content in requested encoding" do
         io = chunked_io(chunks: ["ab", "c"].each)
         assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1, "").encoding
         io.rewind
         assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1, "").encoding
 
         io = chunked_io(chunks: ["ab", "c"].each, encoding: "utf-8")
-        assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1, "").encoding
+        assert_equal Encoding::UTF_8, io.read(1, "").encoding
         io.rewind
-        assert_equal Encoding::BINARY, io.read(1, "").encoding
+        assert_equal Encoding::UTF_8, io.read(1, "").encoding
       end
     end