diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/BodyReader.java b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/BodyReader.java
index 5a6aa6c6d4..6e6ae84e45 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/BodyReader.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/BodyReader.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.cloud.contract.verifier.builder;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ class BodyReader {
 
 	String readStringFromFileString(SingleContractMetadata metadata,
 			FromFileProperty property, CommunicationType side) {
+		if (!Charset.defaultCharset().toString().equals(property.getCharset())) {
+			return "new String(" + readBytesFromFileString(metadata, property, side)
+					+ ", \"" + property.getCharset() + "\")";
+		}
 		return "new String(" + readBytesFromFileString(metadata, property, side) + ")";
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/SingleTestGeneratorSpec.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/SingleTestGeneratorSpec.groovy
index 00166d3b09..b5ed0c55f4 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/SingleTestGeneratorSpec.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/builder/SingleTestGeneratorSpec.groovy
@@ -624,6 +624,38 @@ class SingleTestGeneratorSpec extends Specification {
 			testFramework << [JUNIT, JUNIT5, TESTNG, SPOCK]
 	}
 
+	@Issue('#1199')
+	def 'should generate tests with body from file with custom charset [#testFramework]'() {
+		given:
+			file = tmpFolder.newFile()
+			writeContract(file)
+			tmp = tmpFolder.newFolder()
+			File classpath = new File(SingleTestGeneratorSpec.class.getResource('/charset/').toURI())
+			FileSystemUtils.copyRecursively(classpath, tmp)
+		and:
+			File output = new File(tmp, 'readFromFileWithCharset.groovy')
+			File contractLocation = output
+			File temp = tmpFolder.newFolder()
+		and:
+			ContractVerifierConfigProperties properties = new ContractVerifierConfigProperties(
+					testFramework: testFramework, contractsDslDir: contractLocation.parentFile,
+					basePackageForTests: 'a.b', generatedTestSourcesDir: temp,
+					generatedTestResourcesDir: tmpFolder.newFolder()
+			)
+			TestGenerator testGenerator = new TestGenerator(properties)
+		when:
+			int count = testGenerator.generate()
+		then:
+			count == 1
+		and:
+			String test = new File(temp, "a/b/ContractVerifier${getTestName(testFramework)}").text
+			test.contains('readFromFileWithCharset_request_request.json')
+			test.contains('RESPONSE')
+			test.contains('body(new String(fileToBytes(this, "readFromFileWithCharset_request_request.json"), "US-ASCII"))')
+		where:
+			testFramework << [JUNIT, JUNIT5, SPOCK]
+	}
+
 	@Issue('#260')
 	def "should generate tests in a folder taken from baseClassForTests's package when it is set for [#testFramework]"() {
 		given:
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/readFromFileWithCharset.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/readFromFileWithCharset.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4cb2566e69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/readFromFileWithCharset.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2013-2019 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+
+import java.nio.charset.Charset
+
+import org.springframework.cloud.contract.spec.Contract
+
+Contract.make {
+	request {
+		method('PUT')
+		headers {
+			contentType(applicationJson())
+		}
+		body(file("request.json", Charset.forName("US-ASCII")))
+		url("/1")
+	}
+	response {
+		status OK()
+		body(file("response.json", Charset.forName("US-ASCII")))
+		headers {
+			contentType(applicationJson())
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/request.json b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/request.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26c2b2f565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/request.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "status": "REQUEST"
+}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/response.json b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/response.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb55e0cb2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/resources/charset/response.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "status": "RESPONSE"
+}