diff --git a/source/dub/generators/build.d b/source/dub/generators/build.d
index 26a4388..c893fb0 100644
--- a/source/dub/generators/build.d
+++ b/source/dub/generators/build.d
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@
 		const dbPathStr = dbPath.toNativeString();
 		Json db;
 		if (exists(dbPathStr)) {
-			const text = stripUTF8Bom(cast(string)readFile(dbPath));
+			const text = readText(dbPath);
 			db = parseJsonString(text, dbPathStr);
 			enforce(db.type == Json.Type.array, "Expected a JSON array in " ~ dbPathStr);
 		}
diff --git a/source/dub/internal/utils.d b/source/dub/internal/utils.d
index 23e7221..e352afe 100644
--- a/source/dub/internal/utils.d
+++ b/source/dub/internal/utils.d
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
 
 Json jsonFromFile(NativePath file, bool silent_fail = false) {
 	if( silent_fail && !existsFile(file) ) return Json.emptyObject;
-	auto text = stripUTF8Bom(cast(string)readFile(file));
+	auto text = readText(file);
 	return parseJsonString(text, file.toNativeString());
 }
 
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@
 	}
 }
 
-string stripUTF8Bom(string str)
+private string stripUTF8Bom(string str)
 {
 	if( str.length >= 3 && str[0 .. 3] == [0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF] )
 		return str[3 ..$];
diff --git a/source/dub/internal/vibecompat/core/file.d b/source/dub/internal/vibecompat/core/file.d
index e3fc1c1..98fd1ce 100644
--- a/source/dub/internal/vibecompat/core/file.d
+++ b/source/dub/internal/vibecompat/core/file.d
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
 	return cast(ubyte[]) std.file.read(path.toNativeString());
 }
 
+/// Returns the content of a file as text
+public string readText(NativePath path)
+{
+    return std.file.readText(path.toNativeString());
+}
+
 /**
 	Moves or renames a file.
 */
diff --git a/source/dub/recipe/io.d b/source/dub/recipe/io.d
index 5b9b1e0..f12fdb5 100644
--- a/source/dub/recipe/io.d
+++ b/source/dub/recipe/io.d
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@
 PackageRecipe readPackageRecipe(NativePath filename,
 	in PackageName parent = PackageName.init, StrictMode mode = StrictMode.Ignore)
 {
-	import dub.internal.utils : stripUTF8Bom;
-
-	string text = stripUTF8Bom(cast(string)readFile(filename));
+	string text = readText(filename);
 	return parsePackageRecipe(text, filename.toNativeString(), parent, null, mode);
 }
 
diff --git a/source/dub/test/base.d b/source/dub/test/base.d
index c1c6a31..b9407c7 100644
--- a/source/dub/test/base.d
+++ b/source/dub/test/base.d
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@
         SelectionsFile selected;
         try
         {
-            const content = cast(string) this.fs.readFile(selverfile);
+            const content = this.fs.readText(selverfile);
             selected = parseConfigString!SelectionsFile(
                 content, selverfile.toNativeString());
         }
@@ -380,7 +380,6 @@
 		Package parent = null, string version_ = null,
 		StrictMode mode = StrictMode.Ignore)
 	{
-		import dub.internal.utils : stripUTF8Bom;
 		if (recipe.empty)
 			recipe = this.findPackageFile(path);
 
@@ -392,7 +391,7 @@
 		const PackageName parent_name = parent
 			? PackageName(parent.name) : PackageName.init;
 
-		string text = stripUTF8Bom(cast(string)this.fs.readFile(recipe));
+		string text = this.fs.readText(recipe);
 		auto content = parsePackageRecipe(text, recipe.toNativeString(),
 			parent_name, null, mode);
 
@@ -748,6 +747,18 @@
         return entry.content.dup;
     }
 
+    /// Reads a file, returns the content as text
+    public string readText (NativePath path)
+    {
+        import std.utf : validate;
+
+        auto entry = this.lookup(path);
+        enforce(entry.type == Type.File, "Trying to read a directory");
+        // Ignore BOM: If it's needed for a test, add support for it.
+        validate(cast(const(char[])) entry.content);
+        return cast(string) entry.content.idup();
+    }
+
     /// Write to this file
     public void writeFile (NativePath path, const(char)[] data)
     {