diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index 1f5c6c136..b50987305 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 - Added JtR-compatible support for hex notation in rules engine
 - Added OpenCL device utilization to the status information in machine-readable output
+- General file handling: Abort if a byte order mark (BOM) was detected in a wordlist, hashlist, maskfile or rulefile
 - HCCAPX management: Use advanced hints in message_pair stored by hcxtools about endian bitness of replay counter
 - OpenCL kernels: Abort session if kernel self-test fails
 - OpenCL kernels: Add '-pure' prefix to kernel filenames to avoid problems caused by reusing existing hashcat installation folder
diff --git a/include/shared.h b/include/shared.h
index 033788e30..c9dd5cbb5 100644
--- a/include/shared.h
+++ b/include/shared.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ bool hc_path_exist (const char *path);
 bool hc_path_read (const char *path);
 bool hc_path_write (const char *path);
 bool hc_path_create (const char *path);
+bool hc_path_has_bom (const char *path);
 
 bool hc_string_is_digit (const char *s);
 
diff --git a/src/shared.c b/src/shared.c
index cd3501379..023d5a76f 100644
--- a/src/shared.c
+++ b/src/shared.c
@@ -262,6 +262,111 @@ bool hc_path_create (const char *path)
   return true;
 }
 
+bool hc_path_has_bom (const char *path)
+{
+  u8 buf[8] = { 0 };
+
+  FILE *fp = fopen (path, "rb");
+
+  if (fp == NULL) return false;
+
+  const size_t nread = fread (buf, 1, sizeof (buf), fp);
+
+  fclose (fp);
+
+  if (nread < 1) return false;
+
+  /* signatures from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byte_order_mark#Byte_order_marks_by_encoding */
+
+  // utf-8
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xef)
+   && (buf[1] == 0xbb)
+   && (buf[2] == 0xbf)) return true;
+
+  // utf-16
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xfe)
+   && (buf[1] == 0xff)) return true;
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xff)
+   && (buf[1] == 0xfe)) return true;
+
+  // utf-32
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x00)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x00)
+   && (buf[2] == 0xfe)
+   && (buf[3] == 0xff)) return true;
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xff)
+   && (buf[1] == 0xfe)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x00)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x00)) return true;
+
+  // utf-7
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x2b)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x2f)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x76)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x38)) return true;
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x2b)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x2f)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x76)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x39)) return true;
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x2b)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x2f)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x76)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x2b)) return true;
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x2b)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x2f)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x76)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x2f)) return true;
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x2b)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x2f)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x76)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x38)
+   && (buf[4] == 0x2d)) return true;
+
+  // utf-1
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xf7)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x64)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x4c)) return true;
+
+  // utf-ebcdic
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xdd)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x73)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x66)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x73)) return true;
+
+  // scsu
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x0e)
+   && (buf[1] == 0xfe)
+   && (buf[2] == 0xff)) return true;
+
+  // bocu-1
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0xfb)
+   && (buf[1] == 0xee)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x28)) return true;
+
+  // gb-18030
+
+  if ((buf[0] == 0x84)
+   && (buf[1] == 0x31)
+   && (buf[2] == 0x95)
+   && (buf[3] == 0x33)) return true;
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 bool hc_string_is_digit (const char *s)
 {
   if (s == NULL) return false;
diff --git a/src/straight.c b/src/straight.c
index 7738b063c..572d4c4e1 100644
--- a/src/straight.c
+++ b/src/straight.c
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@
 
 static int straight_ctx_add_wl (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *dict)
 {
+  if (hc_path_has_bom (dict) == true)
+  {
+    event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", dict);
+
+    return -1;
+  }
+
   straight_ctx_t *straight_ctx = hashcat_ctx->straight_ctx;
 
   if (straight_ctx->dicts_avail == straight_ctx->dicts_cnt)
diff --git a/src/user_options.c b/src/user_options.c
index dd0d237dd..08f384264 100644
--- a/src/user_options.c
+++ b/src/user_options.c
@@ -1754,6 +1754,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
         return -1;
       }
+
+      if (hc_path_has_bom (user_options_extra->hc_hash) == true)
+      {
+        event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", user_options_extra->hc_hash);
+
+        return -1;
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -1797,6 +1804,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
         return -1;
       }
+
+      if (hc_path_has_bom (rp_file) == true)
+      {
+        event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", rp_file);
+
+        return -1;
+      }
     }
   }
   else if (user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_COMBI)
@@ -1829,6 +1843,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
         return -1;
       }
 
+      if (hc_path_has_bom (dictfile1) == true)
+      {
+        event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", dictfile1);
+
+        return -1;
+      }
+
       if (hc_path_exist (dictfile2) == false)
       {
         event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: %s", dictfile2, strerror (errno));
@@ -1849,6 +1870,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
         return -1;
       }
+
+      if (hc_path_has_bom (dictfile2) == true)
+      {
+        event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", dictfile2);
+
+        return -1;
+      }
     }
   }
   else if (user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_BF)
@@ -1874,6 +1902,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
           return -1;
         }
+
+        if (hc_path_has_bom (maskfile) == true)
+        {
+          event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", maskfile);
+
+          return -1;
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -1911,6 +1946,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
           return -1;
         }
+
+        if (hc_path_has_bom (maskfile) == true)
+        {
+          event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", maskfile);
+
+          return -1;
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -1948,6 +1990,13 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
           return -1;
         }
+
+        if (hc_path_has_bom (maskfile) == true)
+        {
+          event_log_error (hashcat_ctx, "%s: Byte Order Mark (BOM) was detected", maskfile);
+
+          return -1;
+        }
       }
     }
   }