diff --git a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
index 3258eee315..a20ee6becc 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
@@ -190,16 +190,18 @@ void BitmapText::DrawChars()
 }
 
 /* sText is UTF-8. */
-void BitmapText::SetText( CString sText )
+void BitmapText::SetText( CString sText, bool DoSubst )
 {
 	ASSERT( m_pFont );
+
+	if(DoSubst)
+		FontManager::ReplaceMarkers(sText);
+
 	if(m_szText == sText)
 		return;
 
 	m_szText = sText;
 
-	FontManager::ReplaceMarkers(sText);
-
 	/* Break the string into lines. */
 	m_szTextLines.clear();
 	m_iLineWidths.clear();
diff --git a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h
index 4295c65628..ad5bdc9f99 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public:
 	bool LoadFromFont( CString sFontName );
 	bool LoadFromNumbers( CString sTexturePath )	{ return LoadFromTextureAndChars(sTexturePath,"0123456789%. :x"); };
 	bool LoadFromTextureAndChars( CString sTexturePath, CString sChars );
-	void SetText( CString sText );
+	void SetText( CString sText, bool DoSubst = true );
 
 	int GetWidestLineWidthInSourcePixels() { return m_iWidestLineWidth; };
 	void CropToWidth( int iWidthInSourcePixels );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
index e9863bd64b..91c970e53c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
@@ -924,6 +924,16 @@ lstring CStringToLstring(const CString &str)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+CString LStringToCString(const lstring &str)
+{
+	CString ret;
+
+	for(unsigned i = 0; i < str.size(); ++i)
+		ret.append(LcharToUTF8(str[i]));
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int unichar_to_utf8 (longchar c, char *outbuf)
 {
 	unsigned int len = 0;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h
index fe0d0de9c2..b4efe44a6a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ typedef basic_string<longchar> lstring;
 extern const longchar INVALID_CHAR;
 
 lstring CStringToLstring(const CString &str);
+CString LStringToCString(const lstring &str);
 CString LcharToUTF8( longchar c );
 
 // Splits a CString into an CStringArray according the Deliminator.
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp
index 7c2f2b986d..6b8d62ba93 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "GameConstantsAndTypes.h"
 #include "PrefsManager.h"
 #include "ThemeManager.h"
+#include "FontManager.h"
 
 const float QUESTION_X	=	CENTER_X;
 const float QUESTION_Y	=	CENTER_Y - 60;
@@ -27,12 +28,20 @@ const float ANSWER_Y	=	CENTER_Y + 120;
 const float ANSWER_WIDTH	=	440;
 const float ANSWER_HEIGHT	=	30;
 
+/* XXX: Don't let the user use internal-use codepoints (those
+ * that resolve to Unicode codepoints above 0xFFFF); those are
+ * subject to change and shouldn't be written to .SMs.
+ *
+ * Handle UTF-8.  Right now, we need to at least be able to backspace
+ * a whole UTF-8 character.  Better would be to operate in longchars.
+ */
 ScreenTextEntry::ScreenTextEntry( ScreenMessage SM_SendWhenDone, CString sQuestion, CString sInitialAnswer, void(*OnOK)(CString sAnswer), void(*OnCancel)() )
 {
 	m_SMSendWhenDone = SM_SendWhenDone;
 	m_pOnOK = OnOK;
 	m_pOnCancel = OnCancel;
-	m_sAnswer = sInitialAnswer;
+
+	m_sAnswer = CStringToLstring(sInitialAnswer);
 	m_bCancelled = false;
 
 	m_Fade.SetTransitionTime( 0.5f );
@@ -57,7 +66,7 @@ ScreenTextEntry::ScreenTextEntry( ScreenMessage SM_SendWhenDone, CString sQuesti
 	m_textAnswer.LoadFromFont( THEME->GetPathTo("Fonts","header1") );
 	m_textAnswer.LoadFromFont( THEME->GetPathTo("Fonts","header1") );
 	m_textAnswer.SetXY( ANSWER_X, ANSWER_Y );
-	m_textAnswer.SetText( m_sAnswer );
+	m_textAnswer.SetText( LStringToCString(m_sAnswer) );
 	this->AddChild( &m_textAnswer );
 
 	SOUNDMAN->PlayOnce( THEME->GetPathTo("Sounds","menu prompt") );
@@ -91,8 +100,9 @@ void ScreenTextEntry::Input( const DeviceInput& DeviceI, const InputEventType ty
 		MenuStart(PLAYER_1);
 		break;
 	case SDLK_BACKSPACE:
-		m_sAnswer = m_sAnswer.Left( max(0,m_sAnswer.GetLength()-1) );
-		m_textAnswer.SetText( m_sAnswer );
+		if(!m_sAnswer.empty())
+			m_sAnswer = m_sAnswer.erase( m_sAnswer.size()-1 );
+		m_textAnswer.SetText( LStringToCString(m_sAnswer) );
 		break;
 	default:
 		char c;
@@ -137,7 +147,7 @@ void ScreenTextEntry::Input( const DeviceInput& DeviceI, const InputEventType ty
 		if( c != '\0' )
 		{
 			m_sAnswer += c;
-			m_textAnswer.SetText( m_sAnswer );
+			m_textAnswer.SetText( LStringToCString(m_sAnswer) );
 		}
 		break;
 	}
@@ -187,7 +197,12 @@ void ScreenTextEntry::MenuStart( PlayerNumber pn )
 	if( m_bCancelled ) {
 		if( m_pOnCancel ) m_pOnCancel();
 	} else {
-		if( m_pOnOK ) m_pOnOK( m_sAnswer );
+		if( m_pOnOK )
+		{
+			CString ret = LStringToCString(m_sAnswer);
+			FontManager::ReplaceMarkers(ret);
+			m_pOnOK( ret );
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.h b/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.h
index c77571f994..2124c2d40d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ protected:
 	TransitionFade	m_Fade;
 	BitmapText		m_textQuestion;
 	Quad			m_rectAnswerBox;
-	CString			m_sAnswer;
+	lstring			m_sAnswer;
 	BitmapText		m_textAnswer;
 	ScreenMessage	m_SMSendWhenDone;
 	void(*m_pOnOK)( CString sAnswer );