diff --git a/xs/src/Config.cpp b/xs/src/Config.cpp
index b2783e357..a4e2def8e 100644
--- a/xs/src/Config.cpp
+++ b/xs/src/Config.cpp
@@ -111,12 +111,12 @@ ConfigBase::get(t_config_option_key opt_key) {
         return newRV_noinc((SV*)av);
     } else if (ConfigOptionString* optv = dynamic_cast<ConfigOptionString*>(opt)) {
         // we don't serialize() because that would escape newlines
-        return newSVpvn(optv->value.c_str(), optv->value.length());
+        return newSVpvn_utf8(optv->value.c_str(), optv->value.length(), true);
     } else if (ConfigOptionStrings* optv = dynamic_cast<ConfigOptionStrings*>(opt)) {
         AV* av = newAV();
         av_fill(av, optv->values.size()-1);
         for (std::vector<std::string>::iterator it = optv->values.begin(); it != optv->values.end(); ++it)
-            av_store(av, it - optv->values.begin(), newSVpvn(it->c_str(), it->length()));
+            av_store(av, it - optv->values.begin(), newSVpvn_utf8(it->c_str(), it->length(), true));
         return newRV_noinc((SV*)av);
     } else if (ConfigOptionPoint* optv = dynamic_cast<ConfigOptionPoint*>(opt)) {
         return optv->point.to_SV_pureperl();
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ ConfigBase::get(t_config_option_key opt_key) {
         return newRV_noinc((SV*)av);
     } else {
         std::string serialized = opt->serialize();
-        return newSVpvn(serialized.c_str(), serialized.length());
+        return newSVpvn_utf8(serialized.c_str(), serialized.length(), true);
     }
 }
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ ConfigBase::get_at(t_config_option_key opt_key, size_t i) {
     } else if (ConfigOptionStrings* optv = dynamic_cast<ConfigOptionStrings*>(opt)) {
         // we don't serialize() because that would escape newlines
         std::string val = optv->get_at(i);
-        return newSVpvn(val.c_str(), val.length());
+        return newSVpvn_utf8(val.c_str(), val.length(), true);
     } else if (ConfigOptionPoints* optv = dynamic_cast<ConfigOptionPoints*>(opt)) {
         return optv->get_at(i).to_SV_pureperl();
     } else if (ConfigOptionBools* optv = dynamic_cast<ConfigOptionBools*>(opt)) {
diff --git a/xs/xsp/Config.xsp b/xs/xsp/Config.xsp
index 3e1b07cd4..7afc97d63 100644
--- a/xs/xsp/Config.xsp
+++ b/xs/xsp/Config.xsp
@@ -147,12 +147,12 @@ print_config_def()
                 throw "Unknown option type";
             }
             (void)hv_stores( hv, "type",        newSVpv(opt_type, 0) );
-            (void)hv_stores( hv, "label",       newSVpvn(optdef->label.c_str(), optdef->label.length()) );
+            (void)hv_stores( hv, "label",       newSVpvn_utf8(optdef->label.c_str(), optdef->label.length(), true) );
             if (!optdef->full_label.empty())
-                (void)hv_stores( hv, "full_label",  newSVpvn(optdef->full_label.c_str(), optdef->full_label.length()) );
+                (void)hv_stores( hv, "full_label",  newSVpvn_utf8(optdef->full_label.c_str(), optdef->full_label.length(), true) );
             (void)hv_stores( hv, "category",    newSVpvn(optdef->category.c_str(), optdef->category.length()) );
-            (void)hv_stores( hv, "tooltip",     newSVpvn(optdef->tooltip.c_str(), optdef->tooltip.length()) );
-            (void)hv_stores( hv, "sidetext",    newSVpvn(optdef->sidetext.c_str(), optdef->sidetext.length()) );
+            (void)hv_stores( hv, "tooltip",     newSVpvn_utf8(optdef->tooltip.c_str(), optdef->tooltip.length(), true) );
+            (void)hv_stores( hv, "sidetext",    newSVpvn_utf8(optdef->sidetext.c_str(), optdef->sidetext.length(), true) );
             (void)hv_stores( hv, "cli",         newSVpvn(optdef->cli.c_str(), optdef->cli.length()) );
             (void)hv_stores( hv, "scope",       newSVpvn(optdef->scope.c_str(), optdef->scope.length()) );
             (void)hv_stores( hv, "ratio_over",  newSVpvn(optdef->ratio_over.c_str(), optdef->ratio_over.length()) );
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ print_config_def()
                 AV* av = newAV();
                 av_fill(av, optdef->enum_labels.size()-1);
                 for (std::vector<std::string>::iterator it = optdef->enum_labels.begin(); it != optdef->enum_labels.end(); ++it)
-                    av_store(av, it - optdef->enum_labels.begin(), newSVpvn(it->c_str(), it->length()));
+                    av_store(av, it - optdef->enum_labels.begin(), newSVpvn_utf8(it->c_str(), it->length(), true));
                 (void)hv_stores( hv, "labels", newRV_noinc((SV*)av) );
             }