diff --git a/python/javapackages/common/manifest.py b/python/javapackages/common/manifest.py
index 5a6245b9..99b4c39f 100644
--- a/python/javapackages/common/manifest.py
+++ b/python/javapackages/common/manifest.py
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ def _read_manifest(self):
             return None
         content = mf.read()
         mf.close()
+        # Unfold continuation lines before decoding so split multibyte UTF-8
+        # characters are reconstructed prior to decoding.
+        content = self._join_continuation_lines_bytes(content)
         return content.decode("utf-8")
 
     def get_requires(self):
@@ -91,15 +94,17 @@ def get_provides(self):
                 version = ".".join(versions)
         return symbolicName, version
 
-    def _normalize_manifest(self):
-        lines = []
-        manifest = self._manifest.splitlines()
-        for line in manifest:
-            if line.startswith(' '):
-                lines[-1] += line.strip()
+    def _join_continuation_lines_bytes(self, data):
+        logical_lines = []
+        for line in data.splitlines():
+            if line.startswith(b' ') and logical_lines:
+                logical_lines[-1] += line[1:]
             else:
-                lines.append(line.strip())
-        return lines
+                logical_lines.append(line)
+        return b"\n".join(logical_lines)
+
+    def _normalize_manifest(self):
+        return [line.strip() for line in self._manifest.splitlines()]
 
     def _parse_manifest(self):
         headers = {}
diff --git a/test/manifest_test.py b/test/manifest_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95c06aee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/manifest_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import os
+import shutil
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+import zipfile
+
+from javapackages.common.manifest import Manifest
+
+
+def _folded_utf8_manifest(line_ending):
+    # UTF-8 bytes for "Boué" split across a folded manifest continuation line.
+    return b"".join([
+        b"Manifest-Version: 1.0" + line_ending,
+        b"Bundle-SymbolicName: org.example.bundle" + line_ending,
+        b"Bundle-Version: 1.2.3" + line_ending,
+        b"Built-By: Guillaume Bou\xc3" + line_ending,
+        b" \xa9" + line_ending,
+        line_ending,
+    ])
+
+
+def _ascii_folded_manifest(line_ending):
+    return b"".join([
+        b"Manifest-Version: 1.0" + line_ending,
+        b"Bundle-SymbolicName: org.example.bundle" + line_ending,
+        b"Bundle-Version: 1.2.3" + line_ending,
+        b"Built-By: Jane" + line_ending,
+        b" Doe" + line_ending,
+        line_ending,
+    ])
+
+
+class TestManifestUtf8Folding(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.workdir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="jpkg-manifest-")
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        shutil.rmtree(self.workdir)
+
+    def test_folded_utf8_manifest_file(self):
+        meta_inf = os.path.join(self.workdir, "META-INF")
+        os.makedirs(meta_inf)
+        manifest_path = os.path.join(meta_inf, "MANIFEST.MF")
+
+        with open(manifest_path, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(_folded_utf8_manifest(b"\r\n"))
+
+        manifest = Manifest(manifest_path)
+        self.assertEqual(("org.example.bundle", "1.2.3"), manifest.get_provides())
+        headers = manifest._parse_manifest()
+        self.assertEqual("Guillaume Boué", headers.get("Built-By"))
+
+    def test_folded_utf8_manifest_in_jar(self):
+        jar_path = os.path.join(self.workdir, "sample.jar")
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(jar_path, "w") as zf:
+            zf.writestr("META-INF/MANIFEST.MF", _folded_utf8_manifest(b"\r\n"))
+
+        manifest = Manifest(jar_path)
+        self.assertEqual(("org.example.bundle", "1.2.3"), manifest.get_provides())
+        headers = manifest._parse_manifest()
+        self.assertEqual("Guillaume Boué", headers.get("Built-By"))
+
+    def test_folded_utf8_manifest_lf_endings(self):
+        meta_inf = os.path.join(self.workdir, "META-INF")
+        os.makedirs(meta_inf)
+        manifest_path = os.path.join(meta_inf, "MANIFEST.MF")
+
+        with open(manifest_path, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(_folded_utf8_manifest(b"\n"))
+
+        manifest = Manifest(manifest_path)
+        headers = manifest._parse_manifest()
+        self.assertEqual("Guillaume Boué", headers.get("Built-By"))
+
+    def test_ascii_continuation_still_works(self):
+        meta_inf = os.path.join(self.workdir, "META-INF")
+        os.makedirs(meta_inf)
+        manifest_path = os.path.join(meta_inf, "MANIFEST.MF")
+
+        with open(manifest_path, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(_ascii_folded_manifest(b"\r\n"))
+
+        manifest = Manifest(manifest_path)
+        headers = manifest._parse_manifest()
+        self.assertEqual("JaneDoe", headers.get("Built-By"))
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()