diff --git a/include/class.format.php b/include/class.format.php
index d4d2353..8385893 100644
--- a/include/class.format.php
+++ b/include/class.format.php
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ class Format {
     }
 
     function htmlchars($var) {
-        return is_array($var)?array_map(array('Format','htmlchars'),$var):htmlspecialchars($var,ENT_QUOTES);
+      //added with inspiration from http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6678&highlight=utf8
+      return is_array($var)?array_map(array('Format','htmlchars'),$var): utf8_decode(htmlspecialchars($var,ENT_QUOTES));
+      //return is_array($var)?array_map(array('Format','htmlchars'),$var):htmlspecialchars($var,ENT_QUOTES);
     }
 
 
diff --git a/include/class.ticket.php b/include/class.ticket.php
index 89c2f79..52a6d87 100644
--- a/include/class.ticket.php
+++ b/include/class.ticket.php
@@ -608,7 +608,8 @@ class Ticket{
              ',headers='.db_input($headers). //Raw header.
              ',source='.db_input($source).
              ',ip_address='.db_input($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']);
-    
+        //added with inspiration from http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6678&highlight=utf8
+        $sql = utf8_decode($sql);
         if(db_query($sql) && ($msgid=db_insert_id())) {
             $this->setLastMsgId($msgid);
             $this->onMessage();
diff --git a/include/client/viewticket.inc.php b/include/client/viewticket.inc.php
index 3dd4c80..cda6c7d 100644
--- a/include/client/viewticket.inc.php
+++ b/include/client/viewticket.inc.php
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ $dept=($dept && $dept->isPublic())?$dept:$cfg->getDefaultDept();
                 <tr class="header"><td><?=$ticket->getAttachmentStr($msg_row['msg_id'],'M')?></td></tr> 
                 <?}?>
                 <tr class="info">
-                    <td><?=Format::display($msg_row['message'])?></td></tr>
+              <td><?=utf8_encode(Format::display($msg_row['message']))?></td></tr>
 		    </table>
             <?
             //get answers for messages
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ $dept=($dept && $dept->isPublic())?$dept:$cfg->getDefaultDept();
                                     
                     <?}?>
 			        <tr class="info">
-				        <td> <?=Format::display($resp_row['response'])?></td></tr>
+                                  <td> <?=utf8_encode(Format::display($resp_row['response']))?></td></tr>
 		        </table>
 		    <?
 		    } //endwhile...response loop.
diff --git a/include/mysql.php b/include/mysql.php
index e6295ee..8919a08 100644
--- a/include/mysql.php
+++ b/include/mysql.php
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@
 	// execute sql query
 	function db_query($query, $database="",$conn=""){
         global $cfg;
-       
+        //added with inspiration from http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6678&highlight=utf8
+        $query=utf8_encode($query);
+
 		if($conn){ /* connection is provided*/
             $response=($database)?mysql_db_query($database,$query,$conn):mysql_query($query,$conn);
    	    }else{
diff --git a/include/staff/viewticket.inc.php b/include/staff/viewticket.inc.php
index 792b44f..cff4fe9 100644
--- a/include/staff/viewticket.inc.php
+++ b/include/staff/viewticket.inc.php
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ if($ticket->isOverdue())
         <table align="center" class="ticketinfo" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" width="100%" border=0>
             <tr>
                 <th>Name:</th>
-                <td><?=Format::htmlchars($ticket->getName())?></td>
+                    <td><?=utf8_encode(Format::htmlchars($ticket->getName()))?></td>
             </tr>
             <tr>
                 <th>Email:</th>
@@ -85,13 +85,13 @@ if($ticket->isOverdue())
         </table>
      </td>
     </tr>
-    <tr><td colspan=2 class="msg">Subject: <?=Format::htmlchars($ticket->getSubject())?></td></tr>
+                      <tr><td colspan=2 class="msg">Subject: <?=utf8_encode(Format::htmlchars($ticket->getSubject()))?></td></tr>
     <tr>
      <td valign="top" width=50%>
         <table align="center" class="ticketinfo" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" width="100%" border=0>
             <tr>
                 <th>Assigned Staff:</th>
-                <td><?=$staff?Format::htmlchars($staff->getName()):'- unassigned -'?></td>
+                      <td><?=$staff?utf8_encode(Format::htmlchars($staff->getName())):'- unassigned -'?></td>
             </tr>
             <tr>
                 <th nowrap>Last Response:</th>
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ if($ticket->isOverdue())
             <tr><th>Help Topic:</th>
                 <td><?
                     $ht=$ticket->getHelpTopic();
-                    echo Format::htmlchars($ht?$ht:'N/A');
+echo utf8_encode(Format::htmlchars($ht?$ht:'N/A'));
                     ?>
                 </td>
             </tr>
@@ -216,9 +216,9 @@ if(($resp=db_query($sql)) && ($notes=db_num_rows($resp))){
         <table align="center" class="note" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" width="100%" border=0>
             <tr><th><?=Format::db_daydatetime($row['created'])?>&nbsp;-&nbsp; posted by <?=$row['source']?></th></tr>
             <? if($row['title']) {?>
-            <tr class="header"><td><?=Format::display($row['title'])?></td></tr>
+                  <tr class="header"><td><?=utf8_encode(Format::display($row['title']))?></td></tr>
             <?} ?>
-            <tr><td><?=Format::display($row['note'])?></td></tr>
+                                           <tr><td><?=utf8_encode(Format::display($row['note']))?></td></tr>
         </table>
      <?} ?>
    </div>
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ if(($resp=db_query($sql)) && ($notes=db_num_rows($resp))){
                 <?if($msg_row['attachments']>0){ ?>
                 <tr class="header"><td><?=$ticket->getAttachmentStr($msg_row['msg_id'],'M')?></td></tr> 
                 <?}?>
-                <tr><td><?=Format::display($msg_row['message'])?>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+                <tr><td><?=utf8_encode(Format::display($msg_row['message']))?>&nbsp;</td></tr>
 		    </table>
             <?
             //get answers for messages
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ if(($resp=db_query($sql)) && ($notes=db_num_rows($resp))){
                     <tr class="header">
                         <td><?=$ticket->getAttachmentStr($respID,'R')?></td></tr>
                     <?}?>
-			        <tr><td> <?=Format::display($resp_row['response'])?></td></tr>
+                                                                                                   <tr><td> <?=utf8_encode(Format::display($resp_row['response']))?></td></tr>
 		        </table>
 	        <?}
             $msgid =$msg_row['msg_id'];
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ if(($resp=db_query($sql)) && ($notes=db_num_rows($resp))){
                                 onChange="getCannedResponse(this.options[this.selectedIndex].value,this.form,'response');this.selectedIndex='0';" >
                                 <option value="0" selected="selected">Select a premade reply</option>
                                 <?while(list($cannedId,$title)=db_fetch_row($canned)) { ?>
-                                 <option value="<?=$cannedId?>" ><?=Format::htmlchars($title)?></option>
+                                                                                        <option value="<?=$cannedId?>" ><?=utf8_encode(Format::htmlchars($title))?></option>
                                 <?}?>
                                </select>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<label><input type='checkbox' value='1' name=append checked="true" />Append</label>
                             <?}?>