diff --git a/southwark/__init__.py b/southwark/__init__.py
index d410ac9..58bfb9e 100644
--- a/southwark/__init__.py
+++ b/southwark/__init__.py
@@ -417,13 +417,13 @@ def clone(
 		target_config = r.get_config()
 
 		target_config.set(("remote", origin), "url", source.encode("UTF-8"))
-		target_config.set(("remote", origin), "fetch", f"+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/{origin}/*".encode("UTF-8"))
+		target_config.set(("remote", origin), "fetch", f"+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/{origin}/*".encode())
 		target_config.write_to_path()
 		fetch_result = fetch(
 				r,
 				origin,
 				errstream=errstream,
-				message=f"clone: from {source}".encode("UTF-8"),
+				message=f"clone: from {source}".encode(),
 				depth=depth,
 				**kwargs,
 				)
diff --git a/southwark/config.py b/southwark/config.py
index d020553..65617f0 100644
--- a/southwark/config.py
+++ b/southwark/config.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def set_remote_ssh(config: ConfigFile, domain: str, username: str, repo: str, na
 	:param name: The name of the remote to set.
 	"""
 
-	config.set(("remote", name), "url", f"git@{domain}:{username}/{repo}.git".encode("UTF-8"))
+	config.set(("remote", name), "url", f"git@{domain}:{username}/{repo}.git".encode())
 
 
 def set_remote_http(config: ConfigFile, domain: str, username: str, repo: str, name: str = "origin") -> None:
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def set_remote_http(config: ConfigFile, domain: str, username: str, repo: str, n
 	:param name: The name of the remote to set.
 	"""
 
-	config.set(("remote", name), "url", f"https://{domain}/{username}/{repo}.git".encode("UTF-8"))
+	config.set(("remote", name), "url", f"https://{domain}/{username}/{repo}.git".encode())
 
 
 set_remote_html = set_remote_http