diff --git a/lib/core/common.py b/lib/core/common.py
index b239776b5..c1ec04a6d 100644
--- a/lib/core/common.py
+++ b/lib/core/common.py
@@ -737,13 +737,13 @@ def dataToDumpFile(dumpFile, data):
     dumpFile.flush()
 
 def dataToOutFile(filename, data):
-    if not data:
-        return "No data retrieved"
+    retVal = None
 
-    retVal = "%s%s%s" % (conf.filePath, os.sep, filePathToString(filename))
+    if data:
+        retVal = "%s%s%s" % (conf.filePath, os.sep, filePathToString(filename))
 
-    with codecs.open(retVal, "wb") as f:
-        f.write(data)
+        with codecs.open(retVal, "wb", UNICODE_ENCODING) as f:
+            f.write(data)
 
     return retVal
 
@@ -3170,19 +3170,20 @@ def decodeHexValue(value):
     retVal = value
 
     def _(value):
+        retVal = value
         if value and isinstance(value, basestring) and len(value) % 2 == 0:
-            value = hexdecode(value)
+            retVal = hexdecode(retVal)
 
-            if Backend.isDbms(DBMS.MSSQL):
+            if Backend.isDbms(DBMS.MSSQL) and value.startswith("0x"):
                 try:
-                    value = value.decode("utf-16-le")
+                    retVal = retVal.decode("utf-16-le")
                 except UnicodeDecodeError:
                     pass
 
-            if not isinstance(value, unicode):
-                value = getUnicode(value, "utf8")
+            if not isinstance(retVal, unicode):
+                retVal = getUnicode(retVal, "utf8")
 
-        return value
+        return retVal
 
     try:
         retVal = applyFunctionRecursively(value, _)
diff --git a/lib/takeover/metasploit.py b/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
index 4f874ccfc..4bbfef8ce 100644
--- a/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
+++ b/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ class Metasploit:
             errMsg = "failed to create the shellcode (%s)" % payloadStderr.replace("\n", " ").replace("\r", "")
             raise SqlmapFilePathException, errMsg
 
-        self._shellcodeFP = codecs.open(self._shellcodeFilePath, "rb")
+        self._shellcodeFP = codecs.open(self._shellcodeFilePath, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING)
         self.shellcodeString = self._shellcodeFP.read()
         self._shellcodeFP.close()
 
diff --git a/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py b/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py
index 579234d76..2e01e01f0 100644
--- a/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py
+++ b/plugins/dbms/mssqlserver/filesystem.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import EXPECTED
 from lib.core.enums import PAYLOAD
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapNoneDataException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUnsupportedFeatureException
+from lib.core.settings import UNICODE_ENCODING
 from lib.request import inject
 
 from plugins.generic.filesystem import Filesystem as GenericFilesystem
@@ -337,7 +338,7 @@ class Filesystem(GenericFilesystem):
 
         tmpPath = posixToNtSlashes(conf.tmpPath)
         dFile = posixToNtSlashes(dFile)
-        wFilePointer = codecs.open(wFile, "rb")
+        wFilePointer = codecs.open(wFile, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING)
         wFileContent = wFilePointer.read()
         wFilePointer.close()
 
diff --git a/plugins/generic/filesystem.py b/plugins/generic/filesystem.py
index bd415e857..950f5f85f 100644
--- a/plugins/generic/filesystem.py
+++ b/plugins/generic/filesystem.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import CHARSET_TYPE
 from lib.core.enums import EXPECTED
 from lib.core.enums import PAYLOAD
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUndefinedMethod
+from lib.core.settings import UNICODE_ENCODING
 from lib.request import inject
 
 class Filesystem:
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ class Filesystem:
         """
 
         retVal = []
-        with codecs.open(fileName, "rb") as f:
+        with codecs.open(fileName, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING) as f:
             content = f.read().encode(encoding).replace("\n", "")
 
         if not single:
@@ -230,19 +231,24 @@ class Filesystem:
 
             if fileContent is not None:
                 fileContent = decodeHexValue(fileContent)
-                localFilePath = dataToOutFile(remoteFile, fileContent)
 
-                if not Backend.isDbms(DBMS.PGSQL):
-                    self.cleanup(onlyFileTbl=True)
+                if fileContent:
+                    localFilePath = dataToOutFile(remoteFile, fileContent)
 
-                sameFile = self.askCheckReadFile(localFilePath, remoteFile)
+                    if not Backend.isDbms(DBMS.PGSQL):
+                        self.cleanup(onlyFileTbl=True)
 
-                if sameFile is True:
-                    localFilePath += " (same file)"
-                elif sameFile is False:
-                    localFilePath += " (size differs from remote file)"
+                    sameFile = self.askCheckReadFile(localFilePath, remoteFile)
 
-                localFilePaths.append(localFilePath)
+                    if sameFile is True:
+                        localFilePath += " (same file)"
+                    elif sameFile is False:
+                        localFilePath += " (size differs from remote file)"
+
+                    localFilePaths.append(localFilePath)
+                else:
+                    errMsg = "no data retrieved"
+                    logger.error(errMsg)
 
         return localFilePaths