Index: Include/py_curses.h
===================================================================
--- Include/py_curses.h	(revision 74555)
+++ Include/py_curses.h	(working copy)
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 typedef struct {
 	PyObject_HEAD
 	WINDOW *win;
+	char *charset;
 } PyCursesWindowObject;
 
 #define PyCursesWindow_Check(v)	 (Py_TYPE(v) == &PyCursesWindow_Type)
Index: Modules/_cursesmodule.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/_cursesmodule.c	(revision 74555)
+++ Modules/_cursesmodule.c	(working copy)
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@
 	wo = PyObject_NEW(PyCursesWindowObject, &PyCursesWindow_Type);
 	if (wo == NULL) return NULL;
 	wo->win = win;
+	wo->charset = NULL; /* use default charset (utf8) */
 	return (PyObject *)wo;
 }
 
@@ -365,6 +366,7 @@
 PyCursesWindow_Dealloc(PyCursesWindowObject *wo)
 {
   if (wo->win != stdscr) delwin(wo->win);
+  if (wo->charset) free(wo->charset);
   PyObject_DEL(wo);
 }
 
@@ -431,22 +433,22 @@
 
   switch (PyTuple_Size(args)) {
   case 1:
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"s;str", &str))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"es;str", self->charset, &str))
       return NULL;
     break;
   case 2:
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"sl;str,attr", &str, &lattr))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"esl;str,attr", self->charset, &str, &lattr))
       return NULL;
     attr = lattr;
     use_attr = TRUE;
     break;
   case 3:
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"iis;int,int,str", &y, &x, &str))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"iies;int,int,str", &y, &x, self->charset, &str))
       return NULL;
     use_xy = TRUE;
     break;
   case 4:
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"iisl;int,int,str,attr", &y, &x, &str, &lattr))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"iiesl;int,int,str,attr", &y, &x, self->charset, &str, &lattr))
       return NULL;
     attr = lattr;
     use_xy = use_attr = TRUE;
@@ -1437,6 +1439,24 @@
 }
 
 static PyObject *
+PyCursesWindow_SetCharset(PyCursesWindowObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+  char *charset, *copy;
+  if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s;str", &charset))
+    return NULL;
+
+  copy = strdup(str);
+  if (copy == NULL) {
+    PyErr_NoMemory();
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  if (self->charset)
+    free(self->charset);
+  self->charset = copy;
+  Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
 PyCursesWindow_SetScrollRegion(PyCursesWindowObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
   int x, y;
@@ -1635,6 +1655,7 @@
 #endif
 	{"scroll",          (PyCFunction)PyCursesWindow_Scroll, METH_VARARGS},
 	{"scrollok",        (PyCFunction)PyCursesWindow_scrollok, METH_VARARGS},
+	{"setcharset",      (PyCFunction)PyCursesWindow_SetCharset, METH_VARARGS},
 	{"setscrreg",       (PyCFunction)PyCursesWindow_SetScrollRegion, METH_VARARGS},
 	{"standend",        (PyCFunction)PyCursesWindow_wstandend, METH_NOARGS},
 	{"standout",        (PyCFunction)PyCursesWindow_wstandout, METH_NOARGS},