diff --git a/pygac/pod_reader.py b/pygac/pod_reader.py
index ae3f7e34..c272741a 100644
--- a/pygac/pod_reader.py
+++ b/pygac/pod_reader.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 import datetime
 import logging
+
 try:
     from enum import IntFlag
 except ImportError:
@@ -45,13 +46,12 @@
     IntFlag = object
 
 import numpy as np
-
-from pyorbital.geoloc_instrument_definitions import avhrr_gac
 from pyorbital.geoloc import compute_pixels, get_lonlatalt
+from pyorbital.geoloc_instrument_definitions import avhrr_gac
 
 from pygac.clock_offsets_converter import get_offsets
 from pygac.correct_tsm_issue import TSM_AFFECTED_INTERVALS_POD, get_tsm_idx
-from pygac.reader import Reader, ReaderError, NoTLEData
+from pygac.reader import NoTLEData, Reader, ReaderError
 from pygac.slerp import slerp
 from pygac.utils import file_opener
 
@@ -321,9 +321,14 @@ def read_header(cls, filename, fileobj=None, header_date="auto"):
             _tbm_head, = np.frombuffer(
                 fd_.read(tbm_header.itemsize),
                 dtype=tbm_header, count=1)
-            try:
-                data_set_name = _tbm_head['data_set_name'].decode()
-            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            for encoding in ("utf-8", "cp500"):
+                try:
+                    data_set_name = _tbm_head['data_set_name'].decode(encoding)
+                except ValueError:
+                    continue
+                else:
+                    break
+            else:
                 data_set_name = '---'
             allowed_empty = (42*b'\x00' + b'  ')
             if (cls.data_set_pattern.match(data_set_name)
diff --git a/pygac/tests/test_reader.py b/pygac/tests/test_reader.py
index aef9dcb7..fded5451 100644
--- a/pygac/tests/test_reader.py
+++ b/pygac/tests/test_reader.py
@@ -24,20 +24,20 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import unittest
-import pytest
-
 from unittest import mock
+
 import numpy as np
 import numpy.testing
-from pygac.gac_reader import GACReader, ReaderError
-from pygac.lac_reader import LACReader
-from pygac.pod_reader import POD_QualityIndicator
+import pytest
+
 from pygac.gac_pod import scanline
-from pygac.reader import NoTLEData
+from pygac.gac_reader import GACReader, ReaderError
 from pygac.lac_pod import LACPODReader
-
-from pygac.pod_reader import tbm_header as tbm_header_dtype, header3
 from pygac.lac_pod import scanline as lacpod_scanline
+from pygac.lac_reader import LACReader
+from pygac.pod_reader import POD_QualityIndicator, header3
+from pygac.pod_reader import tbm_header as tbm_header_dtype
+from pygac.reader import NoTLEData
 
 
 class TestPath(os.PathLike):
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ def pod_file_with_tbm_header(tmp_path):
     number_of_scans = 3
 
     tbm_header = np.zeros(1, dtype=tbm_header_dtype)
-    tbm_header["data_set_name"] = b"BRN.HRPT.NJ.D00322.S0334.E0319.B3031919.BL  "
+    tbm_header["data_set_name"] = "BRN.HRPT.NJ.D00322.S0334.E0319.B3031919.BL\x80\x80".encode("cp500")
     tbm_header["select_flag"] = b"S"
     tbm_header["beginning_latitude"] = b"+77"
     tbm_header["ending_latitude"] = b"+22"