diff --git a/lib/lpad_query.py b/lib/lpad_query.py
index 339a709f9d08868ad959b45dc556533ba9c5dba9..17c375747e25bf52a339a7c65118f1b2542387c2 100644
--- a/lib/lpad_query.py
+++ b/lib/lpad_query.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import json, yaml
 from argparse import ArgumentParser
 from fireworks.scripts.lpad_run import get_lp
-from fireworks.fw_config import CONFIG_FILE_DIR
+from fireworks.fw_config import LAUNCHPAD_LOC
 from dbquery import db_select
 
 def query():
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ def query():
                         help='Set output format: json or yaml.')
     parser.add_argument('-c', '--config_dir',
                         help='path to configuration file (if -l unspecified)',
-                        default=CONFIG_FILE_DIR)
+                        default=LAUNCHPAD_LOC)
     parser.add_argument('-l', '--launchpad_file',
-                        help='path to launchpad file', default=None)
+                        help='path to launchpad file', default=LAUNCHPAD_LOC)
     parser.add_argument('-f', '--query_file', required=True,
                         help='path to query file')
     args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def query():
 
     fmt = args.query_file.split('.')[-1]
     assert fmt in ['json', 'yaml']
-    with open(args.query_file, 'r') as inp:
+    with open(args.query_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as inp:
         query_dict = json.load(inp) if fmt == 'json' else yaml.safe_load(inp)
     print(dumpf(db_select(get_lp(args), **query_dict), **dumpkw[args.output]))