diff --git a/src/gsm.c b/src/gsm.c
index a942968..e1b91e4 100644
--- a/src/gsm.c
+++ b/src/gsm.c
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ static struct
 
 /* prototypes */
 /* conversions */
+static unsigned char _gsm_convert_from_iso(unsigned char c);
 static unsigned char _gsm_convert_to_iso(unsigned char c);
 
 /* events */
@@ -906,13 +907,38 @@ int gsm_reset(GSM * gsm, unsigned int delay)
 /* gsm_send_message */
 int gsm_send_message(GSM * gsm, char const * number, char const * text)
 {
-	return gsm_modem_send_message(gsm->modem, number, text);
+	int ret;
+	size_t len;
+	char * p;
+	size_t i;
+
+	len = strlen(text);
+	if((p = malloc(len)) == NULL)
+		return 1; /* XXX report error */
+	/* XXX support more alphabets */
+	for(i = 0; i < len; i++)
+		p[i] = _gsm_convert_from_iso(text[i]);
+	ret = gsm_modem_send_message(gsm->modem, number, text, len);
+	free(p);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 
 /* private */
 /* functions */
 /* conversions */
+/* gsm_convert_from_iso */
+static unsigned char _gsm_convert_from_iso(unsigned char c)
+{
+	size_t i;
+
+	for(i = 0; i < sizeof(_gsm_conv) / sizeof(*_gsm_conv); i++)
+		if(_gsm_conv[i].iso == c)
+			return _gsm_conv[i].gsm;
+	return c;
+}
+
+
 /* gsm_convert_to_iso */
 static unsigned char _gsm_convert_to_iso(unsigned char c)
 {
diff --git a/src/modem.c b/src/modem.c
index 6f7caf2..1796ee4 100644
--- a/src/modem.c
+++ b/src/modem.c
@@ -443,10 +443,10 @@ int gsm_modem_reset(GSMModem * gsmm)
 
 /* gsm_modem_send_message */
 static char * _number_to_address(char const * number);
-static char * _text_to_sept(char const * text);
+static char * _text_to_sept(char const * text, size_t length);
 
 int gsm_modem_send_message(GSMModem * gsmm, char const * number,
-		char const * text)
+		char const * text, size_t length)
 {
 	int ret = 1;
 	char const cmd1[] = "AT+CMGS=";
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ int gsm_modem_send_message(GSMModem * gsmm, char const * number,
 		return gsm_event(gsmm->gsm, GSM_EVENT_TYPE_ERROR,
 				GSM_ERROR_MESSAGE_SEND_FAILED, NULL);
 	addr = _number_to_address(number);
-	sept = _text_to_sept(text);
+	sept = _text_to_sept(text, length);
 	len2 = sizeof(cmd2) + 2 + strlen(addr ? addr : "") + sizeof(pid)
 		+ sizeof(dcs) + 2 + strlen(sept ? sept : "") + 1;
 	buf2 = malloc(len2);
@@ -545,23 +545,22 @@ static char * _number_to_address(char const * number)
 }
 
 /* this function is heavily inspired from gsmd, (c) 2007 OpenMoko, Inc. */
-static char * _text_to_sept(char const * text)
+static char * _text_to_sept(char const * text, size_t length)
 {
 	char const tab[] = "0123456789ABCDEF";
 	unsigned char const * t = (unsigned char const *)text;
 	char * buf;
-	size_t len;
 	char * p;
 	size_t i;
 	unsigned char ch1;
 	unsigned char ch2;
 	int shift = 0;
 
-	len = strlen(text);
-	if((buf = malloc((len * 2) + 1)) == NULL)
+	length = strlen(text);
+	if((buf = malloc((length * 2) + 1)) == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 	p = buf;
-	for(i = 0; i < len; i++)
+	for(i = 0; i < length; i++)
 	{
 		ch1 = t[i] & 0x7f;
 		ch1 = (ch1 >> shift);
diff --git a/src/modem.h b/src/modem.h
index 7c97c26..c64e395 100644
--- a/src/modem.h
+++ b/src/modem.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ int gsm_modem_is_registered(GSMModem * gsmm);
 int gsm_modem_reset(GSMModem * gsmm);
 
 int gsm_modem_send_message(GSMModem * gsmm, char const * number,
-		char const * text);
+		char const * text, size_t len);
 
 int gsm_modem_set_call_presentation(GSMModem * gsmm, gboolean set);
 int gsm_modem_set_call_waiting_control(GSMModem * gsmm, gboolean unsollicited);
diff --git a/src/phone.c b/src/phone.c
index f9f9818..e26b963 100644
--- a/src/phone.c
+++ b/src/phone.c
@@ -1924,6 +1924,7 @@ void phone_write_send(Phone * phone)
 	GtkTextIter start;
 	GtkTextIter end;
 	size_t len;
+	gchar * p;
 
 	phone_show_write(phone, TRUE);
 	number = gtk_entry_get_text(GTK_ENTRY(phone->wr_entry));
@@ -1934,6 +1935,12 @@ void phone_write_send(Phone * phone)
 			FALSE);
 	if(number == NULL || number[0] == '\0' || text == NULL)
 		return;
+	if((p = g_convert(text, -1, "ISO-8859-1", "UTF-8", NULL, NULL, NULL))
+			!= NULL)
+	{
+		g_free(text);
+		text = p;
+	}
 	phone->wr_progress = _phone_create_progress(phone->wr_window,
 			_("Sending message..."));
 	_phone_track(phone, PHONE_TRACK_MESSAGE_SENT, TRUE);