diff --git a/Lib/argparse.py b/Lib/argparse.py
index 202f2cb..3b1a079 100644
--- a/Lib/argparse.py
+++ b/Lib/argparse.py
@@ -1140,11 +1140,17 @@ class FileType(object):
             same values as the builtin open() function.
         - bufsize -- The file's desired buffer size. Accepts the same values as
             the builtin open() function.
+        - encoding -- The file's encoding. Accepts the same values as the
+            the builtin open() function.
+        - errors -- A string indicating how encoding and decoding errors are to
+            be handled. Accepts the same value as the builtin open() function.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, mode='r', bufsize=-1):
+    def __init__(self, mode='r', bufsize=-1, encoding=None, errors=None):
         self._mode = mode
         self._bufsize = bufsize
+        self._encoding = encoding
+        self._errors = errors
 
     def __call__(self, string):
         # the special argument "-" means sys.std{in,out}
@@ -1159,14 +1165,18 @@ class FileType(object):
 
         # all other arguments are used as file names
         try:
-            return open(string, self._mode, self._bufsize)
+            return open(string, self._mode, self._bufsize, self._encoding,
+                        self._errors)
         except IOError as e:
             message = _("can't open '%s': %s")
             raise ArgumentTypeError(message % (string, e))
 
     def __repr__(self):
         args = self._mode, self._bufsize
-        args_str = ', '.join(repr(arg) for arg in args if arg != -1)
+        kwargs = [('encoding', self._encoding), ('errors', self._errors)]
+        args_str = ', '.join([repr(arg) for arg in args if arg != -1] +
+                             ['%s=%r' % (kw, arg) for kw, arg in kwargs
+                              if arg is not None])
         return '%s(%s)' % (type(self).__name__, args_str)
 
 # ===========================
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_argparse.py b/Lib/test/test_argparse.py
index c06c940..7d37c1e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_argparse.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_argparse.py
@@ -1421,6 +1421,19 @@ class TestFileTypeRepr(TestCase):
         type = argparse.FileType('wb', 1)
         self.assertEqual("FileType('wb', 1)", repr(type))
 
+    def test_r_latin(self):
+        type = argparse.FileType('r', encoding='latin_1')
+        self.assertEqual("FileType('r', encoding='latin_1')", repr(type))
+
+    def test_w_big5_ignore(self):
+        type = argparse.FileType('w', encoding='big5', errors='ignore')
+        self.assertEqual("FileType('w', encoding='big5', errors='ignore')",
+                         repr(type))
+
+    def test_r_1_replace(self):
+        type = argparse.FileType('r', 1, errors='ignore')
+        self.assertEqual("FileType('r', 1, errors='ignore')", repr(type))
+
 
 class RFile(object):
     seen = {}