diff --git a/dataset/freeze/config.py b/dataset/freeze/config.py
index 9a58799..a34199e 100644
--- a/dataset/freeze/config.py
+++ b/dataset/freeze/config.py
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 import json
 import yaml
 
-try:
-    str = unicode
-except NameError:
-    pass
+from six import text_type, PY3
 
 from dataset.util import FreezeException
 
@@ -33,14 +30,17 @@ class Configuration(object):
         extension = file_name.rsplit('.', 1)[-1]
         loader = DECODER.get(extension, json)
         try:
-            fh = open(file_name, 'rb')
+            if loader == json and PY3:  # pragma: no cover
+                fh = open(file_name, encoding='utf8')
+            else:
+                fh = open(file_name, 'rb')
             try:
                 self.data = loader.load(fh)
             except ValueError as ve:
                 raise FreezeException("Invalid freeze file: %s" % ve)
             fh.close()
         except IOError as ioe:
-            raise FreezeException(str(ioe))
+            raise FreezeException(text_type(ioe))
 
     @property
     def exports(self):
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Export(object):
     def get_normalized(self, name, default=None):
         value = self.get(name, default=default)
         if value not in [None, default]:
-            value = str(value).lower().strip()
+            value = text_type(value).lower().strip()
         return value
 
     def get_bool(self, name, default=False):
diff --git a/test/Freezefile.yaml b/test/Freezefile.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c36861
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Freezefile.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+common:
+
+  database: "postgresql://user:password@localhost/operational_database"
+  prefix: my_project/dumps/
+  format: json
+  nested:
+
+    property: "inner"
+
+exports:
+
+  - query: "SELECT id, title, date FROM events"
+    filename: "index.json"
+    number: 5
+    bool: true
+    nested:
+
+      property: "override"
+
+  - query: "SELECT id, title, date, country FROM events"
+    filename: "countries/{{country}}.csv"
+    format: csv
+
+  - query: "SELECT * FROM events"
+    filename: "events/{{id}}.json"
+    mode: item
+    wrap: true
+
+  - query: "SELECT * FROM events"
+    filename: "all.json"
+    format: tabson
+
diff --git a/test/test_freeze_config.py b/test/test_freeze_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ab1d8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_freeze_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import os
+import unittest
+
+from dataset.util import FreezeException
+
+
+class TestConfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_init(self):
+        from dataset.freeze.config import Configuration
+
+        self.assertRaises(FreezeException, Configuration, 'x.x')
+        self.assertRaises(FreezeException, Configuration, __file__)
+        cfg = Configuration(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'Freezefile.yaml'))
+
+    def test_exports(self):
+        from dataset.freeze.config import Configuration
+
+        cfg = Configuration(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'Freezefile.yaml'))
+        exports = list(cfg.exports)
+        self.assertEqual(len(exports), 4)
+        self.assertFalse(exports[0].skip)
+        self.assertTrue(exports[0].get_bool('bool'))
+        self.assertEqual(exports[0].get_int('nan', 'default'), 'default')
+        self.assertEqual(exports[0].get_int('number'), 5)
+        self.assert_(exports[0].name)
+    
+    def test_exports_fail(self):
+        from dataset.freeze.config import Configuration
+
+        cfg = Configuration(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'Freezefile.yaml'))
+        cfg.data = None
+        self.assertRaises(FreezeException, list, cfg.exports)
+        cfg.data = {}
+        self.assertRaises(FreezeException, list, cfg.exports)
+