diff --git a/edit/edit-widget.h b/edit/edit-widget.h
index 39ea7aa7e..b144a70fe 100644
--- a/edit/edit-widget.h
+++ b/edit/edit-widget.h
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ struct WEdit {
     unsigned char *buffers1[MAXBUFF + 1];	/* all data up to curs1 */
     unsigned char *buffers2[MAXBUFF + 1];	/* all data from end of file down to curs2 */
 
+    /* UTF8 */
+    unsigned char charbuf[MB_LEN_MAX];
+    int charpoint;
     /* search variables */
     long search_start;		/* First character to start searching from */
     int found_len;		/* Length of found string or 0 if none was found */
diff --git a/edit/edit.c b/edit/edit.c
index 500f696ea..2cae64805 100644
--- a/edit/edit.c
+++ b/edit/edit.c
@@ -120,9 +120,38 @@ int edit_get_byte (WEdit * edit, long byte_index)
     }
 }
 
-int edit_get_utf (WEdit * edit, long byte_index, int *char_width)
+char *edit_get_byte_ptr (WEdit * edit, long byte_index)
 {
     unsigned long p;
+
+    if (byte_index >= (edit->curs1 + edit->curs2) || byte_index < 0)
+	return NULL;
+
+    if (byte_index >= edit->curs1) {
+	p = edit->curs1 + edit->curs2 - byte_index - 1;
+	return (char *) (edit->buffers2[p >> S_EDIT_BUF_SIZE]+(EDIT_BUF_SIZE - (p & M_EDIT_BUF_SIZE) - 1));
+    } else {
+	return (char *) (edit->buffers1[byte_index >> S_EDIT_BUF_SIZE]+(byte_index & M_EDIT_BUF_SIZE));
+    }
+}
+
+char *edit_get_buf_ptr (WEdit * edit, long byte_index)
+{
+    unsigned long p;
+
+    if (byte_index >= (edit->curs1 + edit->curs2) || byte_index < 0)
+	return NULL;
+
+    if (byte_index >= edit->curs1) {
+	p = edit->curs1 + edit->curs2 - byte_index - 1;
+	return (char *) (edit->buffers2[p >> S_EDIT_BUF_SIZE]);
+    } else {
+	return (char *) (edit->buffers1[byte_index >> S_EDIT_BUF_SIZE]);
+    }
+}
+
+int edit_get_utf (WEdit * edit, long byte_index, int *char_width)
+{
     gchar *str = NULL;
     int res = -1;
     gunichar ch;
@@ -134,12 +163,50 @@ int edit_get_utf (WEdit * edit, long byte_index, int *char_width)
         return '\n';
     }
 
-    if (byte_index >= edit->curs1) {
-        p = edit->curs1 + edit->curs2 - byte_index - 1;
-        str = (edit->buffers2[p >> S_EDIT_BUF_SIZE]+(EDIT_BUF_SIZE - (p & M_EDIT_BUF_SIZE) - 1));
+    str = edit_get_byte_ptr (edit, byte_index);
+
+    res = g_utf8_get_char_validated (str, -1);
+
+    if ( res < 0 ) {
+        ch = *str;
+        width = 1;
     } else {
-        str = (edit->buffers1[byte_index >> S_EDIT_BUF_SIZE]+(byte_index & M_EDIT_BUF_SIZE));
+        ch = res;
+        /* Calculate UTF-8 char width */
+        next_ch = g_utf8_next_char(str);
+        if ( next_ch ) {
+            if ( next_ch != str ) {
+                width = next_ch - str;
+            } else {
+                width = 0;
+            }
+        } else {
+            ch = 0;
+            width = 0;
+        }
     }
+    *char_width = width;
+    return ch;
+}
+
+int edit_get_prev_utf (WEdit * edit, long byte_index, int *char_width)
+{
+    gchar *str, *buf = NULL;
+    int res = -1;
+    gunichar ch;
+    gchar *next_ch = NULL;
+    int width = 0;
+
+    if (byte_index >= (edit->curs1 + edit->curs2) || byte_index < 0) {
+        *char_width = 1;
+        return '\n';
+    }
+
+    str = edit_get_byte_ptr (edit, byte_index);
+    buf = edit_get_buf_ptr (edit, byte_index);
+
+    /* get prev utf8 char */
+    str = g_utf8_find_prev_char (buf, str);
 
     res = g_utf8_get_char_validated (str, -1);
 
diff --git a/edit/editkeys.c b/edit/editkeys.c
index 91306ca21..503e7cda4 100644
--- a/edit/editkeys.c
+++ b/edit/editkeys.c
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@ edit_translate_key (WEdit *edit, long x_key, int *cmd, int *ch)
     int i = 0;
     int extmod = 0;
     const edit_key_map_type *key_map = NULL;
-
     switch (edit_key_emulation) {
     case EDIT_KEY_EMULATION_NORMAL:
 	key_map = cooledit_key_map;
@@ -244,12 +243,41 @@ edit_translate_key (WEdit *edit, long x_key, int *cmd, int *ch)
 
     /* an ordinary insertable character */
     if (x_key < 256 && !extmod) {
-	int c = convert_from_input_c (x_key);
+        if (!edit->utf8) {
+            int c = convert_from_input_c (x_key);
+            if (is_printable (c)) {
+                char_for_insertion = c;
+                goto fin;
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (edit->charpoint >= MB_LEN_MAX) {
+                goto fin;
+                edit->charpoint = 0;
+            }
 
-	if (is_printable (c)) {
-	    char_for_insertion = c;
-	    goto fin;
-	}
+            edit->charbuf[edit->charpoint] = x_key;
+            edit->charpoint++;
+
+            int res = str_is_valid_char (edit->charbuf, edit->charpoint);
+            mc_log("res:%i, edit->charpoint : %i\n",res, edit->charpoint);
+            if (res < 0) {
+                if (res != -2) {
+                    edit->charpoint = 0; /* broken multibyte char, skip */
+                    goto fin;
+                }
+                char_for_insertion = x_key;
+                goto fin;
+            } else {
+                edit->charbuf[edit->charpoint]='\0';
+                edit->charpoint = 0;
+                if ( g_unichar_isprint (g_utf8_get_char(edit->charbuf))) {
+                    char_for_insertion = x_key;
+                    goto fin;
+                }
+            }
+            //char_for_insertion = x_key;
+            //goto fin;
+        }
     }
 
     /* Commands specific to the key emulation */