diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/urlutils.py b/qutebrowser/utils/urlutils.py
index c7eb367af..5b2f7153b 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/urlutils.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/urlutils.py
@@ -372,10 +372,15 @@ def get_path_if_valid(pathstr, cwd=None, relative=False, check_exists=False):
         path = None
 
     if check_exists:
-        if path is not None and os.path.exists(path):
-            log.url.debug("URL is a local file")
-        else:
-            path = None
+        if path is not None:
+            try:
+                if os.path.exists(path):
+                    log.url.debug("URL is a local file")
+            except UnicodeEncodeError:
+                log.url.debug(
+                    "URL contains characters which are not present in the " \
+                    "current locale")
+                path = None
 
     return path
 
diff --git a/tests/end2end/test_invocations.py b/tests/end2end/test_invocations.py
index ef97d5317..ff8f91ad6 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/test_invocations.py
+++ b/tests/end2end/test_invocations.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def temp_basedir_env(tmpdir, short_tmpdir):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.linux
-def test_ascii_locale(request, server, tmpdir, quteproc_new):
+def test_downloads_with_ascii_locale(request, server, tmpdir, quteproc_new):
     """Test downloads with LC_ALL=C set.
 
     https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/issues/908
@@ -102,6 +102,35 @@ def test_ascii_locale(request, server, tmpdir, quteproc_new):
     assert (tmpdir / '?-issue908.bin').exists()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.linux
+def test_open_with_ascii_locale(request, server, tmpdir, quteproc_new):
+    """Test opening non-ascii URL with LC_ALL=C set.
+
+    https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/issues/1450
+    """
+    args = ['--temp-basedir'] + _base_args(request.config)
+    quteproc_new.start(args, env={'LC_ALL': 'C'})
+
+    # Test opening a file whose name contains non-ascii characters.
+    # No exception thrown means test success.
+    url = 'file:///föö.html'
+    quteproc_new.send_cmd(':open {}'.format(url))
+    quteproc_new.wait_for(category='url',
+                          message='URL contains characters *')
+
+
+@pytest.mark.linux
+def test_open_command_line_with_ascii_locale(request, server, tmpdir, quteproc_new):
+    """Test opening file from the command line with a non-ascii name with LC_ALL=C set.
+
+    https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/issues/1450
+    """
+    # The file does not actually have to exist because the relevant checks will
+    # all be called. No exception thrown means test success.
+    args = ['--temp-basedir'] + _base_args(request.config) + ['/home/user/föö.html']
+    quteproc_new.start(args, env={'LC_ALL': 'C'})
+
+
 @pytest.mark.linux
 def test_misconfigured_user_dirs(request, server, temp_basedir_env,
                                  tmpdir, quteproc_new):