diff --git a/dialog.h b/dialog.h
index 5ef20637..19e0695d 100644
--- a/dialog.h
+++ b/dialog.h
@@ -574,7 +574,9 @@ int dlg_radiobutton_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp);
 void dlg_checkbox_set(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, bool checked);
 bool dlg_checkbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp);
 void dlg_editbox_set(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text);
+void dlg_editbox_set_utf8(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text);
 char *dlg_editbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp);   /* result must be freed by caller */
+char *dlg_editbox_get_utf8(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp);   /* result must be freed by caller */
 void dlg_editbox_select_range(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp,
                               size_t start, size_t len);
 /* The `listbox' functions can also apply to combo boxes. */
diff --git a/unix/dialog.c b/unix/dialog.c
index 6c70aaa7..835ad978 100644
--- a/unix/dialog.c
+++ b/unix/dialog.c
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ bool dlg_checkbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
     return gtk_toggle_button_get_active(GTK_TOGGLE_BUTTON(uc->toplevel));
 }
 
-void dlg_editbox_set(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text)
+void dlg_editbox_set_utf8(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text)
 {
     struct uctrl *uc = dlg_find_byctrl(dp, ctrl);
     GtkWidget *entry;
@@ -338,7 +338,14 @@ void dlg_editbox_set(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text)
     sfree(tmpstring);
 }
 
-char *dlg_editbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
+void dlg_editbox_set(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text)
+{
+    /* GTK specifies that its edit boxes are always in UTF-8 anyway,
+     * so legacy behaviour is to use those strings unmodified */
+    dlg_editbox_set_utf8(ctrl, dp, text);
+}
+
+char *dlg_editbox_get_utf8(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
 {
     struct uctrl *uc = dlg_find_byctrl(dp, ctrl);
     assert(uc->ctrl->type == CTRL_EDITBOX);
@@ -357,6 +364,13 @@ char *dlg_editbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
     unreachable("bad control type in editbox_get");
 }
 
+char *dlg_editbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
+{
+    /* GTK specifies that its edit boxes are always in UTF-8 anyway,
+     * so legacy behaviour is to use those strings unmodified */
+    return dlg_editbox_get_utf8(ctrl, dp);
+}
+
 void dlg_editbox_select_range(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp,
                               size_t start, size_t len)
 {
diff --git a/windows/controls.c b/windows/controls.c
index 54f0f3d0..b4c838b4 100644
--- a/windows/controls.c
+++ b/windows/controls.c
@@ -2210,6 +2210,15 @@ void dlg_editbox_set(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text)
     SetDlgItemText(dp->hwnd, c->base_id+1, text);
 }
 
+void dlg_editbox_set_utf8(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp, char const *text)
+{
+    struct winctrl *c = dlg_findbyctrl(dp, ctrl);
+    assert(c && c->ctrl->type == CTRL_EDITBOX);
+    wchar_t *wtext = dup_mb_to_wc(CP_UTF8, text);
+    SetDlgItemTextW(dp->hwnd, c->base_id+1, wtext);
+    sfree(wtext);
+}
+
 char *dlg_editbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
 {
     struct winctrl *c = dlg_findbyctrl(dp, ctrl);
@@ -2217,6 +2226,16 @@ char *dlg_editbox_get(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
     return GetDlgItemText_alloc(dp->hwnd, c->base_id+1);
 }
 
+char *dlg_editbox_get_utf8(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp)
+{
+    struct winctrl *c = dlg_findbyctrl(dp, ctrl);
+    assert(c && c->ctrl->type == CTRL_EDITBOX);
+    wchar_t *wtext = GetDlgItemTextW_alloc(dp->hwnd, c->base_id+1);
+    char *text = dup_wc_to_mb(CP_UTF8, wtext, "");
+    sfree(wtext);
+    return text;
+}
+
 void dlg_editbox_select_range(dlgcontrol *ctrl, dlgparam *dp,
                               size_t start, size_t len)
 {