diff --git a/pyerrors/input/dobs.py b/pyerrors/input/dobs.py
index 65b78fec..752c87fb 100644
--- a/pyerrors/input/dobs.py
+++ b/pyerrors/input/dobs.py
@@ -575,17 +575,13 @@ def read_dobs(fname, noempty=False, full_output=False, gz=True, separator_insert
         if not fname.endswith('.gz'):
             fname += '.gz'
         with gzip.open(fname, 'r') as fin:
-            content = fin.read().decode('utf-8')
+            content = fin.read()
     else:
         if fname.endswith('.gz'):
             warnings.warn("Trying to read from %s without unzipping!" % fname, UserWarning)
-        with open(fname, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as fin:
+        with open(fname, 'r') as fin:
             content = fin.read()
 
-    # open and read gzipped xml file
-    infile = gzip.open(fname)
-    content = infile.read()
-
     return import_dobs_string(content, noempty, full_output, separator_insertion=separator_insertion)
 
 
@@ -779,31 +775,31 @@ def create_dobs_string(obsl, name, spec='dobs v1.0', origin='', symbol=[], who=N
 
         allcov = {}
         for o in obsl:
-            for name in o.cov_names:
-                if name in allcov:
-                    if not np.array_equal(allcov[name], o.covobs[name].cov):
-                        raise Exception('Inconsistent covariance matrices for %s!' % (name))
+            for cname in o.cov_names:
+                if cname in allcov:
+                    if not np.array_equal(allcov[cname], o.covobs[cname].cov):
+                        raise Exception('Inconsistent covariance matrices for %s!' % (cname))
                 else:
-                    allcov[name] = o.covobs[name].cov
+                    allcov[cname] = o.covobs[cname].cov
         pd['cdata'] = []
-        for name in cov_names:
+        for cname in cov_names:
             cd = {}
-            cd['id'] = name
+            cd['id'] = cname
 
             covd = {'id': 'cov'}
-            if allcov[name].shape == ():
+            if allcov[cname].shape == ():
                 ncov = 1
                 covd['layout'] = '1 1 f'
-                covd['#data'] = '%1.14e' % (allcov[name])
+                covd['#data'] = '%1.14e' % (allcov[cname])
             else:
-                shape = allcov[name].shape
+                shape = allcov[cname].shape
                 assert (shape[0] == shape[1])
                 ncov = shape[0]
                 covd['layout'] = '%d %d f' % (ncov, ncov)
                 ds = ''
                 for i in range(ncov):
                     for j in range(ncov):
-                        val = allcov[name][i][j]
+                        val = allcov[cname][i][j]
                         if val == 0:
                             ds += '0 '
                         else:
@@ -816,8 +812,8 @@ def create_dobs_string(obsl, name, spec='dobs v1.0', origin='', symbol=[], who=N
             ds = ''
             for i in range(ncov):
                 for o in obsl:
-                    if name in o.covobs:
-                        val = o.covobs[name].grad[i]
+                    if cname in o.covobs:
+                        val = o.covobs[cname].grad[i]
                         if val != 0:
                             ds += '%1.14e ' % (val)
                         else: