diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
index 664db06e50..f09e0b9fdd 100644
--- a/config.yaml
+++ b/config.yaml
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ server:
 
     #Miscellaneous Configuration
     TIMEZONE: GMT-3
-    CHARSET: US-ASCII                           # Defaults to US-ASCII if not set
+    CHARSET: US-ASCII                          # Is loaded first, so applies to the rest of this config. Defaults to US-ASCII if invalid or not set.
     USE_DISPLAY_NUMBERS_WITH_COMMA: true          #Enforce comma on displayed strings (use this when USE_UNITPRICE_WITH_COMMA is active and you still want to display comma-separated values).
     USE_UNITPRICE_WITH_COMMA: true                #Set this accordingly with the layout of the unitPrices on Item.wz XML's, whether it's using commas or dots to represent fractions.
     MAX_MONITORED_BUFFSTATS: 5                 #Limits accounting for "dormant" buff effects, that should take place when stronger stat buffs expires.
diff --git a/src/main/java/config/YamlConfig.java b/src/main/java/config/YamlConfig.java
index c8adc338d1..ec9e1c7b56 100644
--- a/src/main/java/config/YamlConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/config/YamlConfig.java
@@ -1,32 +1,58 @@
 package config;
 
 import com.esotericsoftware.yamlbeans.YamlReader;
+import constants.string.CharsetConstants;
 
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.FileReader;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.List;
 
 
 public class YamlConfig {
-
-    public static final YamlConfig config = fromFile("config.yaml");
+    private static final String CONFIG_FILE_NAME = "config.yaml";
+    public static final YamlConfig config = loadConfig(CONFIG_FILE_NAME);
     
     public List<WorldConfig> worlds;
     public ServerConfig server;
 
-    public static YamlConfig fromFile(String filename) {
+    private static YamlConfig loadConfig(String fileName) {
         try {
-            YamlReader reader = new YamlReader(new FileReader(filename));
+            YamlReader reader = new YamlReader(new FileReader(fileName, CharsetConstants.CHARSET));
             YamlConfig config = reader.read(YamlConfig.class);
             reader.close();
             return config;
-        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
-            String message = "Could not read config file " + filename + ": " + e.getMessage();
-            throw new RuntimeException(message);
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            String message = "Could not successfully parse config file " + filename + ": " + e.getMessage();
-            throw new RuntimeException(message);
+            throw new RuntimeException(getLoadConfigErrorMessage(e));
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static String getLoadConfigErrorMessage(IOException e) {
+        if (e instanceof FileNotFoundException) {
+            return "Could not read config file " + CONFIG_FILE_NAME + ": " + e.getMessage();
+        }
+
+        return "Could not successfully parse config file " + CONFIG_FILE_NAME + ": " + e.getMessage();
+    }
+
+    public static String loadCharset() {
+        try {
+            YamlReader reader = new YamlReader(new FileReader(CONFIG_FILE_NAME, StandardCharsets.US_ASCII));
+            reader.getConfig().readConfig.setIgnoreUnknownProperties(true);
+            StrippedYamlConfig charsetConfig = reader.read(StrippedYamlConfig.class);
+            reader.close();
+            return charsetConfig.server.CHARSET;
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(getLoadConfigErrorMessage(e));
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static class StrippedYamlConfig {
+        public StrippedServerConfig server;
+
+        private static class StrippedServerConfig {
+            public String CHARSET;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/constants/string/CharsetConstants.java b/src/main/java/constants/string/CharsetConstants.java
index 96d4f751cc..631ddeb255 100644
--- a/src/main/java/constants/string/CharsetConstants.java
+++ b/src/main/java/constants/string/CharsetConstants.java
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class CharsetConstants {
     }
 
     private static Charset loadCharset() {
-        String configCharset = YamlConfig.config.server.CHARSET;
+        String configCharset = YamlConfig.loadCharset();
         if (configCharset != null) {
             Language language = Language.fromCharset(configCharset);
             return Charset.forName(language.getCharset());