diff --git a/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_base.py b/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_base.py
--- a/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_base.py
+++ b/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_base.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import configparser
 import functools
-import io
 import logging.config
 import os
 import re
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def read_config(ini_file_name, strip_sec
         return m.group(0)
 
     with open(ini_file_name) as f:
-        return re.sub(r'^\[([^:]+):(.*)]', repl, f.read().decode(), flags=re.MULTILINE)
+        return re.sub(r'^\[([^:]+):(.*)]', repl, f.read(), flags=re.MULTILINE)
 
 
 # This placeholder is the main entry point for the kallithea-cli command
@@ -72,8 +72,9 @@ def register_command(config_file=False, 
             def runtime_wrapper(config_file, *args, **kwargs):
                 path_to_ini_file = os.path.realpath(config_file)
                 kallithea.CONFIG = paste.deploy.appconfig('config:' + path_to_ini_file)
-                config_string = read_config(path_to_ini_file, strip_section_prefix=annotated.__name__)
-                logging.config.fileConfig(io.StringIO(config_string),
+                cp = configparser.ConfigParser(strict=False)
+                cp.read_string(read_config(path_to_ini_file, strip_section_prefix=annotated.__name__))
+                logging.config.fileConfig(cp,
                     {'__file__': path_to_ini_file, 'here': os.path.dirname(path_to_ini_file)})
                 if config_file_initialize_app:
                     kallithea.config.middleware.make_app(kallithea.CONFIG.global_conf, **kallithea.CONFIG.local_conf)