diff --git a/c01b2cc014af5c3f8c1e00907a985edc19cad8d7.patch b/c01b2cc014af5c3f8c1e00907a985edc19cad8d7.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b0fc13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/c01b2cc014af5c3f8c1e00907a985edc19cad8d7.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+From c01b2cc014af5c3f8c1e00907a985edc19cad8d7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Karthikeyan Singaravelan <tir.karthi@gmail.com>
+Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 00:41:58 +0530
+Subject: [PATCH] Remove deprecated encoding parameter for Python 3.9
+ compatibility.
+
+---
+ notebook/tests/test_gateway.py | 13 ++++++-------
+ 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/notebook/tests/test_gateway.py b/notebook/tests/test_gateway.py
+index d0cc84b09d..116b3db673 100644
+--- a/notebook/tests/test_gateway.py
++++ b/notebook/tests/test_gateway.py
+@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def test_gateway_get_kernelspecs(self):
+         with mocked_gateway:
+             response = self.request('GET', '/api/kernelspecs')
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+-            content = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'), encoding='utf-8')
++            content = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+             kspecs = content.get('kernelspecs')
+             self.assertEqual(len(kspecs), 2)
+             self.assertEqual(kspecs.get('kspec_bar').get('name'), 'kspec_bar')
+@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ def test_gateway_get_named_kernelspec(self):
+         with mocked_gateway:
+             response = self.request('GET', '/api/kernelspecs/kspec_foo')
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+-            kspec_foo = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'), encoding='utf-8')
++            kspec_foo = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+             self.assertEqual(kspec_foo.get('name'), 'kspec_foo')
+ 
+             response = self.request('GET', '/api/kernelspecs/no_such_spec')
+@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ def create_session(self, kernel_name):
+             # Create the kernel... (also tests get_kernel)
+             response = self.request('POST', '/api/sessions', **kwargs)
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
+-            model = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'), encoding='utf-8')
++            model = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+             self.assertEqual(model.get('path'), nb_path)
+             kernel_id = model.get('kernel').get('id')
+             # ensure its in the running_kernels and name matches.
+@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ def is_kernel_running(self, kernel_id):
+             # Get list of running kernels
+             response = self.request('GET', '/api/kernels')
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+-            kernels = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'), encoding='utf-8')
++            kernels = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+             self.assertEqual(len(kernels), len(running_kernels))
+             for model in kernels:
+                 if model.get('id') == kernel_id:
+@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def create_kernel(self, kernel_name):
+ 
+             response = self.request('POST', '/api/kernels', **kwargs)
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
+-            model = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'), encoding='utf-8')
++            model = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+             kernel_id = model.get('id')
+             # ensure its in the running_kernels and name matches.
+             running_kernel = running_kernels.get(kernel_id)
+@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ def restart_kernel(self, kernel_id):
+         with mocked_gateway:
+             response = self.request('POST', '/api/kernels/' + kernel_id + '/restart')
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+-            model = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'), encoding='utf-8')
++            model = json.loads(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+             restarted_kernel_id = model.get('id')
+             # ensure its in the running_kernels and name matches.
+             running_kernel = running_kernels.get(restarted_kernel_id)
+@@ -345,4 +345,3 @@ def delete_kernel(self, kernel_id):
+             response = self.request('DELETE', '/api/kernels/' + kernel_id)
+             self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 204)
+             self.assertEqual(response.reason, 'No Content')
+-
diff --git a/python-notebook.spec b/python-notebook.spec
index 92f17f5..560ebd5 100644
--- a/python-notebook.spec
+++ b/python-notebook.spec
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ Source0:        %pypi_source %{pypi_name} %{uversion}
 # See BZ: 1581899, 1580129
 Patch0:         0001-Use-MathJax-TeX-fonts-rather-than-STIXWeb.patch
 
+# Remove deprecated encoding parameter for Python 3.9 compatibility
+# Backported from upstream
+Patch1:         https://github.com/jupyter/notebook/commit/c01b2cc014af5c3f8c1e00907a985edc19cad8d7.patch
+
 BuildArch:      noarch
 
 BuildRequires:  python3-setuptools