diff --git a/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp b/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp
index 4be91c42..6fe2c8b8 100644
--- a/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp
+++ b/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ void DataWindow::okay()
 void DataWindow::from_file()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
     QFileDialog open_dialog;
     QString filename;
     QFile file;
diff --git a/frontend_qt/exportwindow.cpp b/frontend_qt/exportwindow.cpp
index 12ac3e8b..42ceda95 100644
--- a/frontend_qt/exportwindow.cpp
+++ b/frontend_qt/exportwindow.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 ExportWindow::ExportWindow()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
     setupUi(this);
 
     linDestPath->setText(settings.value("studio/export/destination", QDir::toNativeSeparators(QDir::homePath())).toString());
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ ExportWindow::ExportWindow()
 ExportWindow::~ExportWindow()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
 
     settings.setValue("studio/export/destination", linDestPath->text());
     settings.setValue("studio/export/file_prefix", linPrefix->text());
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ void ExportWindow::quit_now()
 void ExportWindow::get_directory()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
     QString directory;
     QFileDialog fdialog;
 
diff --git a/frontend_qt/mainwindow.cpp b/frontend_qt/mainwindow.cpp
index 4133facd..bff1b6f1 100644
--- a/frontend_qt/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/frontend_qt/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget* parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl)
     QCoreApplication::setApplicationName("Barcode Studio");
 
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
 
     char bstyle_text[][50] = {
         "Australia Post Redirect Code",
@@ -224,6 +225,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget* parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl)
 MainWindow::~MainWindow()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
 
     settings.setValue("studio/window_geometry", saveGeometry());
     settings.setValue("studio/tab_index", tabMain->currentIndex());
@@ -276,6 +278,7 @@ void MainWindow::reset_view()
 bool MainWindow::save()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
     QFileDialog save_dialog;
     QString filename;
     QString suffix;
@@ -569,6 +572,7 @@ void MainWindow::change_options()
 {
     QUiLoader uiload;
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
 
     bool initial_load = m_symbology == 0;
     int original_tab_count = tabMain->count();
diff --git a/frontend_qt/sequencewindow.cpp b/frontend_qt/sequencewindow.cpp
index 10070f45..60e2ec74 100644
--- a/frontend_qt/sequencewindow.cpp
+++ b/frontend_qt/sequencewindow.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
 SequenceWindow::SequenceWindow()
 {
 	setupUi(this);
-        QSettings settings;
+    QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
 	QValidator *intvalid = new QIntValidator(this);
 
         linStartVal->setText(settings.value("studio/sequence/start_value", "1").toString());
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ SequenceWindow::SequenceWindow()
 SequenceWindow::~SequenceWindow()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
 
     settings.setValue("studio/sequence/start_value", linStartVal->text());
     settings.setValue("studio/sequence/end_value", linEndVal->text());
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ void SequenceWindow::check_generate()
 void SequenceWindow::import()
 {
     QSettings settings;
+    settings.setIniCodec("UTF-8");
     QFileDialog import_dialog;
     QString filename;
     QFile file;