diff --git a/src/specify_cli/bundler/services/adapters.py b/src/specify_cli/bundler/services/adapters.py
index f6a1d466ba..ca39a2489b 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/bundler/services/adapters.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/bundler/services/adapters.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from ..._assets import _locate_core_pack, _repo_root
 from ..._download_security import MAX_JSON_CATALOG_BYTES, read_response_limited
 from .. import BundlerError
-from ..lib.yamlio import loads_json
+from ..lib.yamlio import load_json, loads_json
 from ..models.catalog import CatalogSource
 from ..models.manifest import ComponentRef
 
@@ -145,13 +145,13 @@ def fetch(source: CatalogSource) -> dict:
             path = _file_url_to_path(parsed)
             if not path.exists():
                 raise BundlerError(f"Catalog file not found: {path}")
-            return loads_json(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"), origin=str(path))
+            return load_json(path)
 
         if scheme == "" or _is_windows_drive_path(url):
             path = Path(url)
             if not path.exists():
                 raise BundlerError(f"Catalog file not found: {path}")
-            return loads_json(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"), origin=str(path))
+            return load_json(path)
 
         if scheme in ("http", "https"):
             if not allow_network:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_bundler_adapters.py b/tests/unit/test_bundler_adapters.py
index 5ce9e10a12..854e60df3f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_bundler_adapters.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_bundler_adapters.py
@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ def test_fetch_rejects_malformed_source_url_cleanly(url):
         fetcher(_source(url))
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("use_file_url", [False, True], ids=["path", "file-url"])
+def test_local_catalog_decode_errors_are_wrapped(tmp_path, use_file_url):
+    catalog_path = tmp_path / "catalog.json"
+    catalog_path.write_bytes(b"\xff\xfe")
+    url = catalog_path.as_uri() if use_file_url else str(catalog_path)
+
+    fetcher = adapters.make_catalog_fetcher(allow_network=False)
+
+    with pytest.raises(BundlerError, match="Could not read"):
+        fetcher(_source(url))
+
+
 def test_builtin_community_catalog_fetches_repository_catalog_online(monkeypatch):
     captured: dict = {}