diff --git a/tests/test_tools_utf8_output.py b/tests/test_tools_utf8_output.py
index 32ca3029..7515b130 100644
--- a/tests/test_tools_utf8_output.py
+++ b/tests/test_tools_utf8_output.py
@@ -85,6 +85,20 @@ class ToolsWriteUtf8(unittest.TestCase):
         out = json.loads(self.assert_clean_utf8(proc, 0, CJK))
         self.assertEqual([row["key"] for row in out["ranked"]], ["a"])
 
+    def test_scrape_candidates_lists_non_latin_hits(self):
+        # Copy the tool so its repo-relative history and tracker paths point at the temp dir.
+        tools_dir = self.tmp / "tools"
+        tools_dir.mkdir()
+        for name in ("scrape_state.py", "rank_state.py", "job_key.py"):
+            shutil.copy(TOOLS / name, tools_dir / name)
+        results = self.tmp / "hits.json"
+        results.write_text(json.dumps([
+            {"title": "Инженер", "company": CYRILLIC, "url": "https://example.com/jobs/1"},
+        ], ensure_ascii=False), encoding="utf-8")
+        proc = run_legacy_stdout([tools_dir / "scrape_state.py", "candidates", "--results", results])
+        out = json.loads(self.assert_clean_utf8(proc, 0, CYRILLIC))
+        self.assertEqual(len(out["selected"]), 1)
+
     def test_job_key_audit_reports_non_latin_entries(self):
         state = self.write_state({f"{CYRILLIC}_Инженер": self.entry(CYRILLIC, "Инженер")})
         proc = run_legacy_stdout([TOOLS / "job_key.py", "--audit", state])
diff --git a/tools/scrape_state.py b/tools/scrape_state.py
index 814703ea..a6727443 100644
--- a/tools/scrape_state.py
+++ b/tools/scrape_state.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from urllib.parse import urlsplit
 
 from job_key import make_key
-from rank_state import STATE, TRACKER, load_state, norm, save_state, tracker_pairs
+from rank_state import STATE, TRACKER, _force_utf8_output, load_state, norm, save_state, tracker_pairs
 
 
 def read_jobs(path: Path) -> list:
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ def run(args) -> int:
 
 
 def main() -> int:
+    _force_utf8_output()
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__.splitlines()[0])
     parser.add_argument("command", choices=("candidates", "store", "history"))
     parser.add_argument("--results", type=Path)