diff --git a/kitty/child.py b/kitty/child.py
index 4e115fa83..32d429f28 100644
--- a/kitty/child.py
+++ b/kitty/child.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import signal
 from threading import Thread
 
 from .constants import terminfo_dir
+import kitty.fast_data_types as fast_data_types
 
 
 def remove_cloexec(fd):
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ class Child:
         self.forked = True
         master, slave = os.openpty()  # Note that master and slave are in blocking mode
         remove_cloexec(slave)
+        self.set_iutf8(fd=master)
         stdin, self.stdin = self.stdin, None
         if stdin is not None:
             stdin_read_fd, stdin_write_fd = os.pipe()
@@ -79,6 +81,16 @@ class Child:
         if self.child_fd is not None:
             fcntl.ioctl(self.child_fd, termios.TIOCSWINSZ, struct.pack('4H', h, w, ww, wh))
 
+    def set_iutf8(self, on=True, fd=None):
+        fd = fd or self.child_fd
+        if fd is not None and hasattr(fast_data_types, 'IUTF8'):
+            attrs = termios.tcgetattr(fd)
+            if on:
+                attrs[0] |= fast_data_types.IUTF8
+            else:
+                attrs[0] &= ~fast_data_types.IUTF8
+            termios.tcsetattr(fd, termios.TCSANOW, attrs)
+
     def hangup(self):
         if self.pid is not None:
             pid, self.pid = self.pid, None
diff --git a/kitty/data-types.c b/kitty/data-types.c
index cf36f728e..7ffbc2a69 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.c
+++ b/kitty/data-types.c
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ static struct PyModuleDef module = {
    .m_methods = module_methods
 };
 
+#include <termios.h>
+
 PyMODINIT_FUNC
 PyInit_fast_data_types(void) {
     PyObject *m;
@@ -105,6 +107,9 @@ PyInit_fast_data_types(void) {
         PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, NORMAL_PROTOCOL);
         PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, URXVT_PROTOCOL);
         PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, UTF8_PROTOCOL);
+#ifdef IUTF8
+        PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, IUTF8);
+#endif
     }
 
     return m;
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 41a61d93c..ce56172cb 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -860,6 +860,9 @@ void screen_erase_characters(Screen *self, unsigned int count) {
 void
 screen_use_latin1(Screen *self, bool on) {
     self->use_latin1 = on; self->utf8_state = 0; self->utf8_codepoint = 0; 
+    PyObject_CallMethod(self->callbacks, "use_utf8", "O", on ? Py_False : Py_True);
+    if (PyErr_Occurred()) PyErr_Print();
+    PyErr_Clear(); 
 }
 
 void 
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index c49d9c8bb..1b6f2b9a1 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ class Window:
             self.start_visual_bell_at = monotonic()
             glfw_post_empty_event()
 
+    def use_utf8(self, on):
+        self.child.set_iutf8(on)
+
     def update_screen(self):
         self.char_grid.update_cell_data()
         glfw_post_empty_event()