diff --git a/src/serena/project.py b/src/serena/project.py
index 146c5354..bd444b03 100644
--- a/src/serena/project.py
+++ b/src/serena/project.py
@@ -139,8 +139,7 @@ class Project:
         :return: the content of the file
         """
         abs_path = Path(self.project_root) / relative_path
-        ls_logger = LanguageServerLogger(log_level=log.level)
-        return FileUtils.read_file(ls_logger, str(abs_path), self.project_config.encoding)
+        return FileUtils.read_file(str(abs_path), self.project_config.encoding)
 
     def get_ignore_spec(self) -> pathspec.PathSpec:
         """
diff --git a/src/solidlsp/ls.py b/src/solidlsp/ls.py
index d4a9c111..849b1256 100644
--- a/src/solidlsp/ls.py
+++ b/src/solidlsp/ls.py
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ class SolidLanguageServer(ABC):
             yield self.open_file_buffers[uri]
             self.open_file_buffers[uri].ref_count -= 1
         else:
-            contents = FileUtils.read_file(self.logger, absolute_file_path, self._encoding)
+            contents = FileUtils.read_file(absolute_file_path, self._encoding)
 
             version = 0
             self.open_file_buffers[uri] = LSPFileBuffer(uri, contents, version, self.language_id, 1)
@@ -1409,7 +1409,7 @@ class SolidLanguageServer(ABC):
         # checking if the line is empty, unfortunately ugly and duplicating code, but I don't want to refactor
         with self.open_file(relative_file_path):
             absolute_file_path = str(PurePath(self.repository_root_path, relative_file_path))
-            content = FileUtils.read_file(self.logger, absolute_file_path, self._encoding)
+            content = FileUtils.read_file(absolute_file_path, self._encoding)
             if content.split("\n")[line].strip() == "":
                 self.logger.log(
                     f"Passing empty lines to request_container_symbol is currently not supported, {relative_file_path=}, {line=}",
diff --git a/src/solidlsp/ls_utils.py b/src/solidlsp/ls_utils.py
index 12fd0ddb..0cec5994 100644
--- a/src/solidlsp/ls_utils.py
+++ b/src/solidlsp/ls_utils.py
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ from solidlsp.ls_exceptions import SolidLSPException
 from solidlsp.ls_logger import LanguageServerLogger
 from solidlsp.ls_types import UnifiedSymbolInformation
 
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 class InvalidTextLocationError(Exception):
     pass
@@ -166,13 +168,16 @@ class FileUtils:
     """
 
     @staticmethod
-    def read_file(logger: LanguageServerLogger, file_path: str, encoding: str) -> str:
+    def read_file(file_path: str, encoding: str) -> str:
         """
-        Reads the file at the given path and returns the contents as a string.
+        Reads the file at the given path using the given encoding and returns the contents as a string.
+        If decoding fails, tries to detect the encoding using charset_normalizer.
+
+        Raises FileNotFoundError if the file does not exist.
         """
         if not os.path.exists(file_path):
-            logger.log(f"File read '{file_path}' failed: File does not exist.", logging.ERROR)
-            raise SolidLSPException(f"File read '{file_path}' failed: File does not exist.")
+            log.error(f"Failed to read '{file_path}': File does not exist.")
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"File read '{file_path}' failed: File does not exist.")
         try:
             try:
                 with open(file_path, encoding=encoding) as inp_file:
@@ -181,15 +186,14 @@ class FileUtils:
                 results = charset_normalizer.from_path(file_path)
                 match = results.best()
                 if match:
-                    logger.log(
+                    log.warning(
                         f"Could not decode {file_path} with encoding='{encoding}'; using best match '{match.encoding}' instead",
-                        logging.WARNING,
                     )
                     return match.raw.decode(match.encoding)
                 raise ude
         except Exception as exc:
-            logger.log(f"File read '{file_path}' failed to read with encoding '{encoding}': {exc}", logging.ERROR)
-            raise SolidLSPException("File read failed.") from None
+            log.error(f"Failed to read '{file_path}' with encoding '{encoding}': {exc}")
+            raise exc
 
     @staticmethod
     def download_file(logger: LanguageServerLogger, url: str, target_path: str) -> None: