diff --git a/vtparse.c b/vtparse.c
index 7627bb1..5b9007f 100644
--- a/vtparse.c
+++ b/vtparse.c
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ void vtparse_init(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_callback_t cb)
     parser->num_params             = 0;
     parser->ignore_flagged         = 0;
     parser->cb                     = cb;
+    parser->characterBytes         = 1;
+    parser->utf8Character          = 0;
 }
 
-static void do_action(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, char ch)
+static void do_action(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, unsigned int ch)
 {
     /* Some actions we handle internally (like parsing parameters), others
      * we hand to our client for processing */
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ static void do_action(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, char ch)
             if(parser->num_intermediate_chars + 1 > MAX_INTERMEDIATE_CHARS)
                 parser->ignore_flagged = 1;
             else
-                parser->intermediate_chars[parser->num_intermediate_chars++] = ch;
+                parser->intermediate_chars[parser->num_intermediate_chars++] = (unsigned char)ch;
 
             break;
         }
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ static void do_action(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, char ch)
 
                 current_param = parser->num_params - 1;
                 parser->params[current_param] *= 10;
-                parser->params[current_param] += (ch - '0');
+                parser->params[current_param] += ch - '0';
             }
 
             break;
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ static void do_action(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, char ch)
     }
 }
 
-static void do_state_change(vtparse_t *parser, state_change_t change, char ch)
+static void do_state_change(vtparse_t *parser, state_change_t change, unsigned int ch)
 {
     /* A state change is an action and/or a new state to transition to. */
 
@@ -125,14 +127,61 @@ static void do_state_change(vtparse_t *parser, state_change_t change, char ch)
     }
 }
 
-void vtparse(vtparse_t *parser, unsigned char *data, int len)
+void vtparse(vtparse_t *parser, unsigned char *data, unsigned int len)
 {
     int i;
     for(i = 0; i < len; i++)
     {
         unsigned char ch = data[i];
-        state_change_t change = STATE_TABLE[parser->state-1][ch];
-        do_state_change(parser, change, ch);
+        if(parser->characterBytes != 1)
+        {
+            parser->utf8Character = (parser->utf8Character << 6) | (ch & 0x3F);
+            parser->characterBytes--;
+
+            if(parser->characterBytes == 1)
+            {
+                state_change_t change = VTPARSE_ACTION_PRINT;
+                do_state_change(parser, change, parser->utf8Character);
+            }
+        }
+        else if((ch&(1<<7)) != 0)
+        {
+            int bit = 6;
+            do
+            {
+                if((ch&(1<<bit)) == 0)
+                {
+                    break;
+                }
+                bit--;
+            }while(bit > 1);
+
+            parser->utf8Character = 0;
+            parser->characterBytes = 7-bit;
+            switch(parser->characterBytes)
+            {
+                case 2:
+                    parser->utf8Character = ch & (1 | (1<<1) | (1<<2) | (1<<3) | (1<<4));
+                    break;
+                case 3:
+                    parser->utf8Character = ch & (1 | (1<<1) | (1<<2) | (1<<3));
+                    break;
+                case 4:
+                    parser->utf8Character = ch & (1 | (1<<1) | (1<<2));
+                    break;
+                case 5:
+                    parser->utf8Character = ch & (1 | (1<<1));
+                    break;
+                case 6:
+                    parser->utf8Character = ch & 1;
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            state_change_t change = STATE_TABLE[parser->state-1][ch];
+            do_state_change(parser, change, (unsigned int)ch);
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/vtparse.h b/vtparse.h
index 6bd139c..8b044fd 100644
--- a/vtparse.h
+++ b/vtparse.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 struct vtparse;
 
-typedef void (*vtparse_callback_t)(struct vtparse*, vtparse_action_t, unsigned char);
+typedef void (*vtparse_callback_t)(struct vtparse*, vtparse_action_t, unsigned int);
 
 typedef struct vtparse {
     vtparse_state_t    state;
@@ -32,10 +32,12 @@ typedef struct vtparse {
     int                params[16];
     int                num_params;
     void*              user_data;
+    int                characterBytes;
+    unsigned int       utf8Character;
 } vtparse_t;
 
 void vtparse_init(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_callback_t cb);
-void vtparse(vtparse_t *parser, unsigned char *data, int len);
+void vtparse(vtparse_t *parser, unsigned char *data, unsigned int len);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/vtparse_check_tables.rb b/vtparse_check_tables.rb
index 6c529ef..9c8f071 100644
--- a/vtparse_check_tables.rb
+++ b/vtparse_check_tables.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-require 'vtparse_tables'
+require './vtparse_tables.rb'
 
 #
 # check that for every state, there is a transition defined
diff --git a/vtparse_gen_c_tables.rb b/vtparse_gen_c_tables.rb
index 811706b..aca18c9 100644
--- a/vtparse_gen_c_tables.rb
+++ b/vtparse_gen_c_tables.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-require 'vtparse_tables'
+require './vtparse_tables.rb'
 
 class String
     def pad(len)
diff --git a/vtparse_test.c b/vtparse_test.c
index 5019c81..85c1dba 100644
--- a/vtparse_test.c
+++ b/vtparse_test.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include "vtparse.h"
 
-void parser_callback(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, unsigned char ch)
+void parser_callback(vtparse_t *parser, vtparse_action_t action, unsigned int ch)
 {
     int i;