diff --git a/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.cpp b/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.cpp
index c24e255e0..dd6bec049 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ void CComponentsText::initVarText(	const int x_pos, const int y_pos, const int w
 	ct_text_sent	= false;
 	ct_paint_textbg = false;
 	ct_force_text_paint = false;
+	ct_utf8_encoded = true;
 
 	initCCText();
 	initParent(parent);
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ void CComponentsText::initCCText()
 	ct_textbox->setWindowMaxDimensions(iWidth, iHeight);
 	ct_textbox->setWindowMinDimensions(iWidth, iHeight);
 	ct_textbox->enableSaveScreen(save_tbox_screen);
+	ct_textbox->enableUTF8(ct_utf8_encoded);
 
 	//observe behavior of parent form if available
 	bool force_text_paint = ct_force_text_paint;
diff --git a/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.h b/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.h
index 0b89f2b1a..c781be040 100644
--- a/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.h
+++ b/src/gui/components/cc_item_text.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ class CComponentsText : public CComponentsItem, public CBox
 		///status: cached text string, mainly required to compare with current text
 		std::string ct_old_text;
 
+		bool ct_utf8_encoded;
+
 		///status: current text string is sent to CTextBox object
 		bool ct_text_sent;
 		///property: send to CTextBox object enableBackgroundPaint(true)
@@ -170,6 +172,9 @@ class CComponentsText : public CComponentsItem, public CBox
 			if (ct_textbox)
 				ct_textbox->enableSaveScreen(mode);
 		}
+		///enable/disable utf8 encoding
+		void enableUTF8(bool enable = true){ct_utf8_encoded = enable;}
+		void disableUTF8(bool enable = false){enableUTF8(enable);}
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/gui/widget/textbox.h b/src/gui/widget/textbox.h
index e65bb1e96..7ba687443 100644
--- a/src/gui/widget/textbox.h
+++ b/src/gui/widget/textbox.h
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ class CTextBox
 		void 	setWindowMinDimensions(const int width, const int height);
 		void    setFontUseDigitHeight(bool set=true);
 		void	enableUTF8(bool enable = true){m_utf8_encoded = enable;}
-		void	disableUTF8(bool enable = false){enableUTF8(false);}
+		void	disableUTF8(bool enable = false){enableUTF8(enable);}
 
 		inline	bool 	isPainted(void)			{if( frameBuffer == NULL) return (false); else return (true);};
 		inline	CBox	getWindowsPos(void)		{return(m_cFrame);};