diff --git a/_pytest/pytester.py b/_pytest/pytester.py
index d19ff1ec6..37348c26e 100644
--- a/_pytest/pytester.py
+++ b/_pytest/pytester.py
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ class Testdir:
         if not hasattr(self, '_olddir'):
             self._olddir = old
 
-    def _makefile(self, ext, args, kwargs):
+    def _makefile(self, ext, args, kwargs, encoding="utf-8"):
         items = list(kwargs.items())
         if args:
             source = py.builtin._totext("\n").join(
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ class Testdir:
 
             source_unicode = "\n".join([my_totext(line) for line in source.lines])
             source = py.builtin._totext(source_unicode)
-            content = source.strip().encode("utf-8") # + "\n"
+            content = source.strip().encode(encoding) # + "\n"
             #content = content.rstrip() + "\n"
             p.write(content, "wb")
             if ret is None:
diff --git a/testing/test_doctest.py b/testing/test_doctest.py
index 4ea2cc58e..4ecd5744b 100644
--- a/testing/test_doctest.py
+++ b/testing/test_doctest.py
@@ -129,6 +129,52 @@ class TestDoctests:
             '*1 passed*',
         ])
 
+    def test_encoding_ascii(self, testdir):
+        """Test support for --doctest-encoding option.
+        """
+        testdir._makefile(".txt", ["""
+            >>> 1
+            1
+        """], {}, encoding='ascii')
+
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--doctest-encoding=ascii")
+
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            '*1 passed*',
+        ])
+
+    def test_encoding_latin1(self, testdir):
+        """Test support for --doctest-encoding option.
+        """
+        testdir._makefile(".txt", ["""
+            >>> 'üäö'
+            'üäö'
+        """], {}, encoding='latin1')
+
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--doctest-encoding=latin1")
+
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            '*1 passed*',
+        ])
+
+    def test_encoding_utf8(self, testdir):
+        """Test support for --doctest-encoding option.
+        """
+        testdir.maketxtfile("""
+            >>> 'üäö'
+            'üäö'
+        """)
+
+        result = testdir.runpytest()
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            '*1 passed*',
+        ])
+
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--doctest-encoding=utf-8")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            '*1 passed*',
+        ])
+
     def test_doctest_unexpected_exception(self, testdir):
         testdir.maketxtfile("""
             >>> i = 0