diff --git a/src/document/forms.h b/src/document/forms.h
index 55934afe9..17449892f 100644
--- a/src/document/forms.h
+++ b/src/document/forms.h
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ struct form_control {
 	unsigned char *id; /* used by scripts */
 	unsigned char *name;
 	unsigned char *alt;
+	/* For FC_TEXT, FC_PASSWORD, and FC_TEXTAREA: @default_value
+	 * is in the charset of the document.
+	 *
+	 * For FC_FILE: The parser does not set @default_value.  */
 	unsigned char *default_value;
 	int default_state;
 	int size;
diff --git a/src/document/html/renderer.c b/src/document/html/renderer.c
index 844b40802..cabf9aa30 100644
--- a/src/document/html/renderer.c
+++ b/src/document/html/renderer.c
@@ -1809,18 +1809,6 @@ html_special_form_control(struct part *part, struct form_control *fc)
 
 	fc->g_ctrl_num = renderer_context.g_ctrl_num++;
 
-	/* We don't want to recode hidden fields. */
-	if (fc->type == FC_TEXT || fc->type == FC_PASSWORD ||
-	    fc->type == FC_TEXTAREA) {
-		unsigned char *dv = convert_string(renderer_context.convert_table,
-						   fc->default_value,
-						   strlen(fc->default_value),
-						   part->document->options.cp,
-						   CSM_FORM, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-
-		if (dv) mem_free_set(&fc->default_value, dv);
-	}
-
 	if (list_empty(part->document->forms)) {
 		/* No forms encountered yet, that means a homeless form
 		 * control. Generate a dummy form for those Flying
diff --git a/src/ecmascript/see/form.c b/src/ecmascript/see/form.c
index 9b2f5b9f6..abdb63173 100644
--- a/src/ecmascript/see/form.c
+++ b/src/ecmascript/see/form.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ input_get(struct SEE_interpreter *interp, struct SEE_object *o,
 	} else if (p == s_defaultChecked) {
 		SEE_SET_BOOLEAN(res, fc->default_state);
 	} else if (p == s_defaultValue) {
+		/* FIXME (bug 805): convert from the charset of the document */
 		str = string_to_SEE_string(interp, fc->default_value);
 		SEE_SET_STRING(res, str);
 	} else if (p == s_disabled) {
diff --git a/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/form.c b/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/form.c
index 9436e1b93..2701f1478 100644
--- a/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/form.c
+++ b/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/form.c
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ input_get_property(JSContext *ctx, JSObject *obj, jsval id, jsval *vp)
 		boolean_to_jsval(ctx, vp, fc->default_state);
 		break;
 	case JSP_INPUT_DEFAULT_VALUE:
+		/* FIXME (bug 805): convert from the charset of the document */
 		string_to_jsval(ctx, vp, fc->default_value);
 		break;
 	case JSP_INPUT_DISABLED:
diff --git a/src/viewer/text/form.c b/src/viewer/text/form.c
index 13e737c36..3b35391af 100644
--- a/src/viewer/text/form.c
+++ b/src/viewer/text/form.c
@@ -150,11 +150,24 @@ selected_item(struct terminal *term, void *item_, void *ses_)
 }
 
 static void
-init_form_state(struct form_control *fc, struct form_state *fs)
+init_form_state(struct document_view *doc_view,
+		struct form_control *fc, struct form_state *fs)
 {
+	struct terminal *term;
+	int doc_cp, viewer_cp;
+
 	assert(fc && fs);
 	if_assert_failed return;
 
+	doc_cp = doc_view->document->cp;
+	term = doc_view->session->tab->term;
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF8
+	if (term->utf8)
+		viewer_cp = get_cp_index("UTF-8");
+	else
+#endif
+		viewer_cp = get_opt_codepage_tree(term->spec, "charset");
+
 	mem_free_set(&fs->value, NULL);
 
 	switch (fc->type) {
@@ -167,8 +180,14 @@ init_form_state(struct form_control *fc, struct form_state *fs)
 #endif /* CONFIG_FORMHIST */
 			/* fall through */
 		case FC_TEXTAREA:
-			if (fs->value == NULL)
-				fs->value = stracpy(fc->default_value);
+			if (fs->value == NULL) {
+				fs->value = convert_string(
+					get_translation_table(doc_cp, viewer_cp),
+					fc->default_value,
+					strlen(fc->default_value),
+					viewer_cp, CSM_FORM,
+					&fs->state, NULL, NULL);
+			}
 			fs->state = fs->value ? strlen(fs->value) : 0;
 #ifdef CONFIG_UTF8
 			if (fc->type == FC_TEXTAREA)
@@ -182,7 +201,12 @@ init_form_state(struct form_control *fc, struct form_state *fs)
 			fs->vpos = 0;
 			break;
 		case FC_SELECT:
-			fs->value = stracpy(fc->default_value);
+			fs->value = convert_string(
+				get_translation_table(doc_cp, viewer_cp),
+				fc->default_value,
+				strlen(fc->default_value),
+				viewer_cp, CSM_FORM,
+				&fs->state, NULL, NULL);
 			fs->state = fc->default_state;
 			fixup_select_state(fc, fs);
 			break;
@@ -195,6 +219,7 @@ init_form_state(struct form_control *fc, struct form_state *fs)
 		case FC_RESET:
 		case FC_BUTTON:
 		case FC_HIDDEN:
+			/* We don't want to recode hidden fields. */
 			fs->value = stracpy(fc->default_value);
 			break;
 	}
@@ -236,7 +261,7 @@ find_form_state(struct document_view *doc_view, struct form_control *fc)
 	fs->g_ctrl_num = fc->g_ctrl_num;
 	fs->position = fc->position;
 	fs->type = fc->type;
-	init_form_state(fc, fs);
+	init_form_state(doc_view, fc, fs);
 
 	return fs;
 }
@@ -1096,7 +1121,7 @@ do_reset_form(struct document_view *doc_view, struct form *form)
 	foreach (fc, form->items) {
 		struct form_state *fs = find_form_state(doc_view, fc);
 
-		if (fs) init_form_state(fc, fs);
+		if (fs) init_form_state(doc_view, fc, fs);
 	}
 }