diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/AbstractFileChunk.java b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/AbstractFileChunk.java
index fd6724e7ad..81e200108e 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/AbstractFileChunk.java
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/AbstractFileChunk.java
@@ -19,9 +19,15 @@
 
 package org.sleuthkit.autopsy.keywordsearch;
 
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.nio.CharBuffer;
+import java.nio.charset.CharacterCodingException;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
-
+import java.nio.charset.CharsetDecoder;
+import java.nio.charset.CodingErrorAction;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
+import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.coreutils.Logger;
 import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.keywordsearch.Ingester.IngesterException;
 
 /**
@@ -30,10 +36,16 @@ import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.keywordsearch.Ingester.IngesterException;
 class AbstractFileChunk {
     private int chunkID;
     private TextExtractor parent;
+    private final CharsetDecoder charsetDecoder = Charset.forName("utf-8").newDecoder(); // NON-NLS
+    private final String replacement_string = "?";
+    private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(AbstractFileChunk.class.getName());
 
     AbstractFileChunk(TextExtractor parent, int chunkID) {
         this.parent = parent;
         this.chunkID = chunkID;
+        this.charsetDecoder.onMalformedInput(CodingErrorAction.REPLACE);
+        this.charsetDecoder.onUnmappableCharacter(CodingErrorAction.REPLACE);
+        this.charsetDecoder.replaceWith(replacement_string); // white questionmark in black diamond - Replacement Character U+FFFD
     }
 
     public TextExtractor getParent() {
@@ -55,9 +67,16 @@ class AbstractFileChunk {
 
     public boolean index(Ingester ingester, byte[] content, long contentSize, Charset indexCharset) throws IngesterException {
         boolean success = true;
-        ByteContentStream bcs = new ByteContentStream(content, contentSize, parent.getSourceFile(), indexCharset);
+        // content need to to sanitized for invalid utf-8 data
+        byte[] sanitizedContent = {};
         try {
-            ingester.ingest(this, bcs, content.length);
+            sanitizedContent = this.charsetDecoder.decode(ByteBuffer.wrap(content)).toString().getBytes();
+        } catch (CharacterCodingException ex) {
+            throw new IngesterException(NbBundle.getMessage(this.getClass(), "AbstractFileChunk.index.charCodingException.msg", parent.getSourceFile().getName()), ex);
+        }
+        ByteContentStream bcs = new ByteContentStream(sanitizedContent, sanitizedContent.length, parent.getSourceFile(), indexCharset);
+        try {
+            ingester.ingest(this, bcs, sanitizedContent.length);
             //logger.log(Level.INFO, "Ingesting string chunk: " + this.getName() + ": " + chunkID);
         } catch (Exception ingEx) {
             success = false;
diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/Bundle.properties b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/Bundle.properties
index 7c1dc087cb..a838f203bc 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/Bundle.properties
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/Bundle.properties
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ DropdownSearchPanel.selectAllMenuItem.text=Select All
 DropdownSearchPanel.pasteMenuItem.text=Paste
 DropdownSearchPanel.copyMenuItem.text=Copy
 AbstractFileChunk.index.exception.msg=Problem ingesting file string chunk\: {0}, chunk\: {1}
+AbstractFileChunk.index.charCodingException.msg=Could not sanitize the content of the file: {0}
 AbstractFileStringContentStream.getSize.exception.msg=Cannot tell how many chars in converted string, until entire string is converted
 AbstractFileStringContentStream.getSrcInfo.text=File\:{0}
 ByteContentStream.getSrcInfo.text=File\:{0}