diff --git a/contrib/hooks/post-receive-email b/contrib/hooks/post-receive-email
index ba93a0d845..8ee410f843 100755
--- a/contrib/hooks/post-receive-email
+++ b/contrib/hooks/post-receive-email
@@ -242,6 +242,9 @@ generate_email_header()
 	cat <<-EOF
 	To: $recipients
 	Subject: ${emailprefix}$projectdesc $refname_type $short_refname ${change_type}d. $describe
+	MIME-Version: 1.0
+	Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
+	Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
 	X-Git-Refname: $refname
 	X-Git-Reftype: $refname_type
 	X-Git-Oldrev: $oldrev