diff --git a/AddCommand.hs b/AddCommand.hs
index 6a723f465..dd9d3d11a 100644
--- a/AddCommand.hs
+++ b/AddCommand.hs
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ An add command to help with data entry.
 module AddCommand
 where
 -- import Data.List.Utils (replace)
+import Prelude hiding (putStr, putStrLn, getLine, appendFile)
 import Ledger
 import Options
 import RegisterCommand (showRegisterReport)
-import System.IO
+import System.IO.UTF8
+import System.IO (stderr, hFlush)
 import System.IO.Error
 import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec
 import Utils (ledgerFromStringWithOpts)
diff --git a/BalanceCommand.hs b/BalanceCommand.hs
index 9b8e3b67b..cf546113b 100644
--- a/BalanceCommand.hs
+++ b/BalanceCommand.hs
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ balance report:
 
 module BalanceCommand
 where
+import Prelude hiding (putStr)
 import Ledger.Utils
 import Ledger.Types
 import Ledger.Amount
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ import Ledger.Ledger
 import Ledger.Parse
 import Options
 import Utils
+import System.IO.UTF8
 
 
 -- | Print a balance report.
diff --git a/HistogramCommand.hs b/HistogramCommand.hs
index 8e543b191..d24ee246f 100644
--- a/HistogramCommand.hs
+++ b/HistogramCommand.hs
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ Print a histogram report.
 
 module HistogramCommand
 where
+import Prelude hiding (putStr)
 import qualified Data.Map as Map
 import Data.Map ((!))
 import Ledger
 import Options
+import System.IO.UTF8
 
 
 barchar = '*'
@@ -43,4 +45,4 @@ countBar ts = replicate (length ts) barchar
 
 total ts = show $ sumTransactions ts
 
--- totalBar ts = replicate (sumTransactions ts) barchar
\ No newline at end of file
+-- totalBar ts = replicate (sumTransactions ts) barchar
diff --git a/Ledger/Parse.hs b/Ledger/Parse.hs
index 47b61b187..fc806b41e 100644
--- a/Ledger/Parse.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Parse.hs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Parsers for standard ledger and timelog files.
 
 module Ledger.Parse
 where
+import Prelude hiding (readFile, putStr, print)
 import Control.Monad
 import Control.Monad.Error
 import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@ import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.Language
 import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.Combinator
 import qualified Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.Token as P
 import System.Directory
-import System.IO
+import System.IO.UTF8
+import System.IO (stdin)
 import qualified Data.Map as Map
 import Data.Time.LocalTime
 import Data.Time.Calendar
diff --git a/Ledger/Utils.hs b/Ledger/Utils.hs
index aad8f15f4..ab10450c7 100644
--- a/Ledger/Utils.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Utils.hs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ module Text.Regex,
 module Test.HUnit,
 )
 where
+import Prelude hiding (readFile)
 import Char
 import Control.Exception
 import Control.Monad
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ import Data.Time.Clock
 import Data.Time.Calendar
 import Data.Time.LocalTime
 import Debug.Trace
-import System.IO
+import System.IO.UTF8
 import Test.HUnit
 import Text.Printf
 import Text.Regex
diff --git a/Options.hs b/Options.hs
index 6dcdada70..07d13a3d9 100644
--- a/Options.hs
+++ b/Options.hs
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import Ledger.Parse
 import Ledger.Utils
 import Ledger.Types
 import Ledger.Dates
+import Codec.Binary.UTF8.String (decodeString)
+import Control.Monad (liftM)
 
 progname      = "hledger"
 timeprogname  = "hours"
@@ -137,7 +139,7 @@ optValuesForConstructors fs opts = concatMap get opts
 -- as \"hours\", the -f $TIMELOG -p today options are assumed as a default.
 parseArguments :: IO ([Opt], String, [String])
 parseArguments = do
-  args <- getArgs
+  args <- liftM (map decodeString) getArgs
   let (os,as,es) = getOpt Permute options args
   istimequery <- usingTimeProgramName
   let os' = if istimequery then (Period "today"):os else os
diff --git a/PrintCommand.hs b/PrintCommand.hs
index 75eea30d6..5d81aec64 100644
--- a/PrintCommand.hs
+++ b/PrintCommand.hs
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ A ledger-compatible @print@ command.
 
 module PrintCommand
 where
+import Prelude hiding (putStr)
 import Ledger
 import Options
+import System.IO.UTF8
 
 
 -- | Print ledger transactions in standard format.
diff --git a/RegisterCommand.hs b/RegisterCommand.hs
index 46778eb69..38280e285 100644
--- a/RegisterCommand.hs
+++ b/RegisterCommand.hs
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ A ledger-compatible @register@ command.
 
 module RegisterCommand
 where
+import Prelude hiding (putStr)
 import qualified Data.Map as Map
 import Data.Map ((!))
 import Ledger
 import Options
+import System.IO.UTF8
 
 
 -- | Print a register report.
diff --git a/hledger.cabal b/hledger.cabal
index 603b10f4b..39ccd8942 100644
--- a/hledger.cabal
+++ b/hledger.cabal
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Flag happs
 
 Library
   Build-Depends:  base, containers, haskell98, directory, parsec, regex-compat,
-                  old-locale, time, HUnit, filepath
+                  old-locale, time, HUnit, filepath, utf8-string
 
   Exposed-modules:Ledger
                   Ledger.Account
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Executable hledger
   Build-Depends:  base, containers, haskell98, directory, parsec,
                   regex-compat, regexpr>=0.5.1, old-locale, time,
                   HUnit, mtl, bytestring, filepath, process, testpack,
-                  regex-pcre, csv, split
+                  regex-pcre, csv, split, utf8-string
 
   Other-Modules:  
                   BalanceCommand
diff --git a/hledger.hs b/hledger.hs
index 5051e2b10..f69b1a82e 100644
--- a/hledger.hs
+++ b/hledger.hs
@@ -51,9 +51,11 @@ module Main (
 #endif
 )
 where
+import Prelude hiding (putStr)
 import Control.Monad.Error
 import qualified Data.Map as Map (lookup)
-import System.IO
+import System.IO.UTF8
+import System.IO (stderr)
 
 import Version (versionmsg)
 import Ledger