diff --git a/util/helper-cairo.cc b/util/helper-cairo.cc
index d576c3fba..8960df946 100644
--- a/util/helper-cairo.cc
+++ b/util/helper-cairo.cc
@@ -349,10 +349,13 @@ helper_cairo_create_context (double w, double h,
 
 
   unsigned int fr, fg, fb, fa, br, bg, bb, ba;
+  const char *color;
   br = bg = bb = 0; ba = 255;
-  sscanf (view_opts->back + (*view_opts->back=='#'), "%2x%2x%2x%2x", &br, &bg, &bb, &ba);
+  color = view_opts->back ? view_opts->back : DEFAULT_BACK;
+  sscanf (color + (*color=='#'), "%2x%2x%2x%2x", &br, &bg, &bb, &ba);
   fr = fg = fb = 0; fa = 255;
-  sscanf (view_opts->fore + (*view_opts->fore=='#'), "%2x%2x%2x%2x", &fr, &fg, &fb, &fa);
+  color = view_opts->fore ? view_opts->fore : DEFAULT_FORE;
+  sscanf (color + (*color=='#'), "%2x%2x%2x%2x", &fr, &fg, &fb, &fa);
 
   cairo_content_t content;
   if (!view_opts->annotate && ba == 255 && br == bg && bg == bb && fr == fg && fg == fb)
diff --git a/util/main-font-text.hh b/util/main-font-text.hh
index 628cdf967..7e8bffe8d 100644
--- a/util/main-font-text.hh
+++ b/util/main-font-text.hh
@@ -31,6 +31,22 @@
 
 /* main() body for utilities taking font and processing text.*/
 
+static char *
+locale_to_utf8 (char *s)
+{
+  char *t;
+  GError *error = NULL;
+
+  t = g_locale_to_utf8 (s, -1, NULL, NULL, &error);
+  if (!t)
+  {
+     fail (true, "Failed converting text to UTF-8");
+  }
+
+  return t;
+}
+
+
 template <typename consumer_t, int default_font_size, int subpixel_bits>
 struct main_font_text_t
 {
@@ -46,14 +62,14 @@ struct main_font_text_t
     options.parse (&argc, &argv);
 
     argc--, argv++;
-    if (argc && !font_opts.font_file) font_opts.font_file = argv[0], argc--, argv++;
-    if (argc && !input.text && !input.text_file) input.text = argv[0], argc--, argv++;
+    if (argc && !font_opts.font_file) font_opts.font_file = locale_to_utf8 (argv[0]), argc--, argv++;
+    if (argc && !input.text && !input.text_file) input.text = locale_to_utf8 (argv[0]), argc--, argv++;
     if (argc)
       fail (true, "Too many arguments on the command line");
     if (!font_opts.font_file)
       options.usage ();
     if (!input.text && !input.text_file)
-      input.text_file = "-";
+      input.text_file = g_strdup ("-");
 
     consumer.init (&font_opts);
 
diff --git a/util/options.cc b/util/options.cc
index 60f5268cf..ca8f90669 100644
--- a/util/options.cc
+++ b/util/options.cc
@@ -601,25 +601,26 @@ const char *
 text_options_t::get_line (unsigned int *len)
 {
   if (text) {
-    if (text_len == (unsigned int) -1)
-      text_len = strlen (text);
+    if (!line) line = text;
+    if (line_len == (unsigned int) -1)
+      line_len = strlen (line);
 
-    if (!text_len) {
+    if (!line_len) {
       *len = 0;
       return NULL;
     }
 
-    const char *ret = text;
-    const char *p = (const char *) memchr (text, '\n', text_len);
+    const char *ret = line;
+    const char *p = (const char *) memchr (line, '\n', line_len);
     unsigned int ret_len;
     if (!p) {
-      ret_len = text_len;
-      text += ret_len;
-      text_len = 0;
+      ret_len = line_len;
+      line += ret_len;
+      line_len = 0;
     } else {
       ret_len = p - ret;
-      text += ret_len + 1;
-      text_len -= ret_len + 1;
+      line += ret_len + 1;
+      line_len -= ret_len + 1;
     }
 
     *len = ret_len;
diff --git a/util/options.hh b/util/options.hh
index f1ec8cfdf..9dc4433fb 100644
--- a/util/options.hh
+++ b/util/options.hh
@@ -150,19 +150,24 @@ struct view_options_t : option_group_t
 {
   view_options_t (option_parser_t *parser) {
     annotate = false;
-    fore = DEFAULT_FORE;
-    back = DEFAULT_BACK;
+    fore = NULL;
+    back = NULL;
     line_space = 0;
     margin.t = margin.r = margin.b = margin.l = DEFAULT_MARGIN;
 
     add_options (parser);
   }
+  ~view_options_t (void)
+  {
+    g_free (fore);
+    g_free (back);
+  }
 
   void add_options (option_parser_t *parser);
 
   hb_bool_t annotate;
-  const char *fore;
-  const char *back;
+  char *fore;
+  char *back;
   double line_space;
   struct margin_t {
     double t, r, b, l;
@@ -188,6 +193,9 @@ struct shape_options_t : option_group_t
   }
   ~shape_options_t (void)
   {
+    g_free (direction);
+    g_free (language);
+    g_free (script);
     free (features);
     g_strfreev (shapers);
   }
@@ -254,9 +262,9 @@ struct shape_options_t : option_group_t
   }
 
   /* Buffer properties */
-  const char *direction;
-  const char *language;
-  const char *script;
+  char *direction;
+  char *language;
+  char *script;
 
   /* Buffer flags */
   hb_bool_t bot;
@@ -290,6 +298,8 @@ struct font_options_t : option_group_t
     add_options (parser);
   }
   ~font_options_t (void) {
+    g_free (font_file);
+    g_free (font_funcs);
     hb_font_destroy (font);
   }
 
@@ -297,13 +307,13 @@ struct font_options_t : option_group_t
 
   hb_font_t *get_font (void) const;
 
-  const char *font_file;
+  char *font_file;
   int face_index;
   int default_font_size;
   unsigned int subpixel_bits;
   mutable double font_size_x;
   mutable double font_size_y;
-  const char *font_funcs;
+  char *font_funcs;
 
   private:
   mutable hb_font_t *font;
@@ -321,11 +331,16 @@ struct text_options_t : option_group_t
 
     fp = NULL;
     gs = NULL;
-    text_len = (unsigned int) -1;
+    line = NULL;
+    line_len = (unsigned int) -1;
 
     add_options (parser);
   }
   ~text_options_t (void) {
+    g_free (text_before);
+    g_free (text_after);
+    g_free (text);
+    g_free (text_file);
     if (gs)
       g_string_free (gs, true);
     if (fp)
@@ -339,21 +354,21 @@ struct text_options_t : option_group_t
       g_set_error (error,
 		   G_OPTION_ERROR, G_OPTION_ERROR_BAD_VALUE,
 		   "Only one of text and text-file can be set");
-
   };
 
   const char *get_line (unsigned int *len);
 
-  const char *text_before;
-  const char *text_after;
+  char *text_before;
+  char *text_after;
 
-  const char *text;
-  const char *text_file;
+  char *text;
+  char *text_file;
 
   private:
   FILE *fp;
   GString *gs;
-  unsigned int text_len;
+  char *line;
+  unsigned int line_len;
 };
 
 struct output_options_t : option_group_t
@@ -370,6 +385,8 @@ struct output_options_t : option_group_t
     add_options (parser);
   }
   ~output_options_t (void) {
+    g_free (output_file);
+    g_free (output_format);
     if (fp)
       fclose (fp);
   }
@@ -393,8 +410,8 @@ struct output_options_t : option_group_t
 
   FILE *get_file_handle (void);
 
-  const char *output_file;
-  const char *output_format;
+  char *output_file;
+  char *output_format;
   const char **supported_formats;
   bool explicit_output_format;