diff --git a/django/contrib/sitemaps/views.py b/django/contrib/sitemaps/views.py
index d615c8e661..86bcc151d9 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sitemaps/views.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sitemaps/views.py
@@ -26,5 +26,5 @@ def sitemap(request, sitemaps, section=None):
             urls.extend(site().get_urls())
         else:
             urls.extend(site.get_urls())
-    xml = loader.render_to_string('sitemap.xml', {'urlset': urls})
+    xml = loader.render_to_string('sitemap.xml', {'urlset': urls}, encoding='utf-8')
     return HttpResponse(xml, mimetype='application/xml')
diff --git a/django/template/__init__.py b/django/template/__init__.py
index b9349e64cd..97a3c9d182 100644
--- a/django/template/__init__.py
+++ b/django/template/__init__.py
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ class Template(object):
             for subnode in node:
                 yield subnode
 
-    def render(self, context):
+    def render(self, context, encoding=None):
         "Display stage -- can be called many times"
-        return self.nodelist.render(context)
+        return self.nodelist.render(context, encoding)
 
 def compile_string(template_string, origin):
     "Compiles template_string into NodeList ready for rendering"
@@ -730,14 +730,15 @@ class NodeList(list):
     # data.
     codec_errors = 'replace'
 
-    def render(self, context):
+    def render(self, context, encoding=None):
+        if encoding is None:
+            encoding = settings.DEFAULT_CHARSET
         bits = []
         for node in self:
             if isinstance(node, Node):
                 bits.append(self.render_node(node, context))
             else:
                 bits.append(node)
-        encoding = settings.DEFAULT_CHARSET
         return ''.join([smart_str(b, encoding, errors=self.codec_errors) for b in bits])
 
     def get_nodes_by_type(self, nodetype):
diff --git a/django/template/loader.py b/django/template/loader.py
index 03e6f8d49d..d142e8951e 100644
--- a/django/template/loader.py
+++ b/django/template/loader.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def get_template_from_string(source, origin=None, name=None):
     """
     return Template(source, origin, name)
 
-def render_to_string(template_name, dictionary=None, context_instance=None):
+def render_to_string(template_name, dictionary=None, context_instance=None, encoding=None):
     """
     Loads the given template_name and renders it with the given dictionary as
     context. The template_name may be a string to load a single template using
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def render_to_string(template_name, dictionary=None, context_instance=None):
         context_instance.update(dictionary)
     else:
         context_instance = Context(dictionary)
-    return t.render(context_instance)
+    return t.render(context_instance, encoding)
 
 def select_template(template_name_list):
     "Given a list of template names, returns the first that can be loaded."
diff --git a/django/test/utils.py b/django/test/utils.py
index aa2b8321be..b18b178820 100644
--- a/django/test/utils.py
+++ b/django/test/utils.py
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ from django.template import Template
 # the test database.
 TEST_DATABASE_PREFIX = 'test_'
 
-def instrumented_test_render(self, context):
-    """An instrumented Template render method, providing a signal 
+def instrumented_test_render(self, context, unused=None):
+    """
+    An instrumented Template render method, providing a signal
     that can be intercepted by the test system Client
-    
     """
     dispatcher.send(signal=signals.template_rendered, sender=self, template=self, context=context)
     return self.nodelist.render(context)