diff --git a/src/gitchangelog/gitchangelog.py b/src/gitchangelog/gitchangelog.py
index ba3e855..e5f2b75 100755
--- a/src/gitchangelog/gitchangelog.py
+++ b/src/gitchangelog/gitchangelog.py
@@ -246,6 +246,13 @@ def _execute_child(self, args, executable, preexec_fn, close_fds,
 """
 
 
+##
+## ENCODING
+##
+
+sys.stdout.reconfigure(encoding='utf-8')
+
+
 ##
 ## Shell command helper functions
 ##
@@ -476,7 +483,7 @@ def curryfy(f):
 ##
 
 def file_get_contents(filename):
-    with open(filename) as f:
+    with open(filename, encoding="utf-8") as f:
         out = f.read()
     if not PY3:
         if not isinstance(out, unicode):
@@ -1589,11 +1596,12 @@ def versions_data_iter(repository, revlist=None,
             encoding=log_encoding)
 
         for commit in commits:
-            if any(re.search(pattern, commit.subject) is not None
+            commit_message = "%s\n%s" % (commit.subject, commit.body)
+            if any(re.search(pattern, commit_message) is not None
                    for pattern in ignore_regexps):
                 continue
 
-            matched_section = first_matching(section_regexps, commit.subject)
+            matched_section = first_matching(section_regexps, commit_message)
 
             ## Finally storing the commit in the matching section