diff --git a/src/bfu/dialog.c b/src/bfu/dialog.c
index 289f4b66b..fad2d7dd9 100644
--- a/src/bfu/dialog.c
+++ b/src/bfu/dialog.c
@@ -285,16 +285,27 @@ select_button_by_flag(struct dialog_data *dlg_data, int flag)
 static void
 select_button_by_key(struct dialog_data *dlg_data)
 {
-	unsigned char key;
+	term_event_char_T key;
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+	int codepage;
+#endif
+	
 	struct widget_data *widget_data;
 	struct term_event *ev = dlg_data->term_event;
 
 	if (!check_kbd_label_key(ev)) return;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+	key = unicode_fold_label_case(get_kbd_key(ev));
+	codepage = get_opt_codepage_tree(dlg_data->win->term->spec, "charset");
+#else
 	key = toupper(get_kbd_key(ev));
+#endif
 
 	foreach_widget(dlg_data, widget_data) {
 		int hk_pos;
+		unsigned char *hk_ptr;
+		term_event_char_T hk_char;
 
 		if (widget_data->widget->type != WIDGET_BUTTON)
 			continue;
@@ -303,16 +314,23 @@ select_button_by_key(struct dialog_data *dlg_data)
 		 * one else we fallback to first character in button
 		 * name. */
 		hk_pos = widget_data->widget->info.button.hotkey_pos;
-		if (hk_pos >= 0) {
-			if (toupper(widget_data->widget->text[hk_pos + 1]) != key)
-				continue;
-		} else {
-			if (toupper(widget_data->widget->text[0]) != key)
-				continue;
-		}
+		if (hk_pos >= 0)
+			hk_ptr = &widget_data->widget->text[hk_pos + 1];
+		else
+			hk_ptr = widget_data->widget->text;
 
-		select_dlg_item(dlg_data, widget_data);
-		break;
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+		hk_char = cp_to_unicode(codepage, &hk_ptr,
+					strchr(hk_ptr, '\0'));
+		hk_char = unicode_fold_label_case(hk_char);
+#else
+		hk_char = toupper(*hk_ptr);
+#endif
+
+		if (hk_char == key) {
+			select_dlg_item(dlg_data, widget_data);
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/bfu/hotkey.c b/src/bfu/hotkey.c
index 0c3078dec..4feaac792 100644
--- a/src/bfu/hotkey.c
+++ b/src/bfu/hotkey.c
@@ -122,10 +122,15 @@ refresh_hotkeys(struct terminal *term, struct menu *menu)
 }
 
 static int
-check_hotkeys_common(struct menu *menu, unsigned char hotkey, struct terminal *term,
+check_hotkeys_common(struct menu *menu, term_event_char_T hotkey, struct terminal *term,
 		     int check_mode)
 {
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+	unicode_val_T key = unicode_fold_label_case(hotkey);
+	int codepage = get_opt_codepage_tree(term->spec, "charset");
+#else
 	unsigned char key = toupper(hotkey);
+#endif
 	int i = menu->selected;
 	int start;
 
@@ -138,6 +143,9 @@ check_hotkeys_common(struct menu *menu, unsigned char hotkey, struct terminal *t
 	do {
 		struct menu_item *item;
 		unsigned char *text;
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+		unicode_val_T items_hotkey;
+#endif
 		int found;
 
 		if (++i == menu->size) i = 0;
@@ -150,6 +158,8 @@ check_hotkeys_common(struct menu *menu, unsigned char hotkey, struct terminal *t
 		if (mi_text_translate(item)) text = _(text, term);
 		if (!text || !*text) continue;
 
+		/* Change @text to point to the character that should
+		 * be compared to @key.  */
 		if (check_mode == 0) {
 			/* Does the key (upcased) matches one of the
 			 * hotkeys in menu ? */
@@ -158,14 +168,22 @@ check_hotkeys_common(struct menu *menu, unsigned char hotkey, struct terminal *t
 #ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG
 			if (key_pos < 0) key_pos = -key_pos;
 #endif
-			found = (key_pos && (toupper(text[key_pos]) == key));
-
+			if (!key_pos) continue;
+			text += key_pos;
 		} else {
 			/* Does the key (upcased) matches first letter
 			 * of menu item left text ? */
-			found = (toupper(*text) == key);
 		}
 
+		/* Compare @key to the character to which @text points.  */
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+		items_hotkey = cp_to_unicode(codepage, &text,
+					     strchr(text, '\0'));
+		found = (unicode_fold_label_case(items_hotkey) == key);
+#else
+		found = (toupper(*text) == key);
+#endif		
+
 		if (found) {
 			menu->selected = i;
 			return 1;
@@ -178,7 +196,7 @@ check_hotkeys_common(struct menu *menu, unsigned char hotkey, struct terminal *t
 
 /* Returns true if a hotkey was found in the menu, and set menu->selected. */
 int
-check_hotkeys(struct menu *menu, unsigned char key, struct terminal *term)
+check_hotkeys(struct menu *menu, term_event_char_T key, struct terminal *term)
 {
 	return check_hotkeys_common(menu, key, term, 0);
 }
@@ -188,7 +206,7 @@ check_hotkeys(struct menu *menu, unsigned char key, struct terminal *term)
  * to selected entry.
  * It returns 1 if found and set menu->selected. */
 int
-check_not_so_hot_keys(struct menu *menu, unsigned char key, struct terminal *term)
+check_not_so_hot_keys(struct menu *menu, term_event_char_T key, struct terminal *term)
 {
 	return check_hotkeys_common(menu, key, term, 1);
 }
diff --git a/src/bfu/hotkey.h b/src/bfu/hotkey.h
index 8ddca989a..24a8352c1 100644
--- a/src/bfu/hotkey.h
+++ b/src/bfu/hotkey.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #ifndef EL__BFU_HOTKEY_H
 #define EL__BFU_HOTKEY_H
 
+#include "terminal/kbd.h"
+
 struct menu;
 struct terminal;
 
@@ -13,7 +15,7 @@ void clear_hotkeys_cache(struct menu *menu);
 #endif
 void refresh_hotkeys(struct terminal *term, struct menu *menu);
 /* int is_hotkey(struct menu_item *item, unsigned char key, struct terminal *term); */
-int check_hotkeys(struct menu *menu, unsigned char hotkey, struct terminal *term);
-int check_not_so_hot_keys(struct menu *menu, unsigned char key, struct terminal *term);
+int check_hotkeys(struct menu *menu, term_event_char_T hotkey, struct terminal *term);
+int check_not_so_hot_keys(struct menu *menu, term_event_char_T key, struct terminal *term);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/intl/charsets.c b/src/intl/charsets.c
index 8fd19f9b7..1ece95029 100644
--- a/src/intl/charsets.c
+++ b/src/intl/charsets.c
@@ -408,8 +408,7 @@ unicode_to_cell(unicode_val_T c)
 }
 
 /* Fold the case of a Unicode character, so that hotkeys in labels can
- * be compared case-insensitively.  This should be called only if
- * check_kbd_label_key(c) is true.  It is unspecified whether the
+ * be compared case-insensitively.  It is unspecified whether the
  * result will be in upper or lower case.  */
 unicode_val_T
 unicode_fold_label_case(unicode_val_T c)
@@ -522,6 +521,25 @@ cp2utf_8(int from, int c)
 	return encode_utf_8(cp2u_shared(&codepages[from], c));
 }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+unicode_val_T
+cp_to_unicode(int codepage, unsigned char **string, unsigned char *end)
+{
+	if (is_cp_utf8(codepage))
+		return utf_8_to_unicode(string, end);
+	else {
+		if (*string >= end)
+			return UCS_NO_CHAR;
+		else {
+			unicode_val_T ret = cp2u(codepage, **string);
+			++*string;
+			return ret;
+		}
+	}
+}
+#endif	/* CONFIG_UTF_8 */
+
+
 static void
 add_utf_8(struct conv_table *ct, unicode_val_T u, unsigned char *str)
 {
diff --git a/src/intl/charsets.h b/src/intl/charsets.h
index 16bc8664d..6a28c8ae3 100644
--- a/src/intl/charsets.h
+++ b/src/intl/charsets.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ inline int unicode_to_cell(unicode_val_T);
 unicode_val_T unicode_fold_label_case(unicode_val_T);
 inline int strlen_utf8(unsigned char **);
 inline unicode_val_T utf_8_to_unicode(unsigned char **, unsigned char *);
+unicode_val_T cp_to_unicode(int, unsigned char **, unsigned char *);
 #endif /* CONFIG_UTF_8 */
 
 unicode_val_T cp2u(int, unsigned char);
diff --git a/src/terminal/event.h b/src/terminal/event.h
index 152b4567a..8599b55c7 100644
--- a/src/terminal/event.h
+++ b/src/terminal/event.h
@@ -170,17 +170,7 @@ void in_term(struct terminal *);
 #define check_kbd_modifier(event, mod)	(kbd_modifier_is(&(event)->info.keyboard, (mod)))
 
 #define check_kbd_textinput_key(event)	(get_kbd_key(event) >= ' ' && check_kbd_modifier(event, KBD_MOD_NONE))
-#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
-/* We must currently limit hotkeys of labels to ASCII, because
- * get_kbd_key(event) is in UCS-4 and various event handlers pass it
- * to toupper() if check_kbd_label_key() returns true.
- * TO DO: Change the event handlers to use unicode_fold_label_case()
- * instead.  The code that extracts the hotkey from the label string
- * will also have to be changed.  */
-#define check_kbd_label_key(event)	(get_kbd_key(event) > ' ' && get_kbd_key(event) <= 0x7F && (check_kbd_modifier(event, KBD_MOD_NONE) || check_kbd_modifier(event, KBD_MOD_ALT)))
-#else  /* !CONFIG_UTF_8 */
 #define check_kbd_label_key(event)	(get_kbd_key(event) > ' ' && (check_kbd_modifier(event, KBD_MOD_NONE) || check_kbd_modifier(event, KBD_MOD_ALT)))
-#endif /* !CONFIG_UTF_8 */
 
 
 /* For mouse events handling */
diff --git a/src/terminal/kbd.h b/src/terminal/kbd.h
index 33fae62c7..b369155ab 100644
--- a/src/terminal/kbd.h
+++ b/src/terminal/kbd.h
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
 #ifndef EL__TERMINAL_KBD_H
 #define EL__TERMINAL_KBD_H
 
+#include "intl/charsets.h"
+
 struct itrm;
 
-/* Values <= -0x100 are special; from enum term_event_special_key.
+/* A character received from a terminal.  */
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8
+typedef unicode_val_T term_event_char_T; /* in UCS-4 */
+#else
+typedef unsigned char term_event_char_T; /* in the charset of the terminal */
+#endif
+
+/* A key received from a terminal, without modifiers.  The value is
+ * either from term_event_char_T or from enum term_event_special_key.
+ * To check which one it is, use is_kbd_character().
+ *
+ * Values <= -0x100 are special; from enum term_event_special_key.
  * Values between -0xFF and -2 are not used yet; treat as special.
  * Value  == -1 is KBD_UNDEF; not sent via socket.
- * Values >= 0 are characters received from the terminal;
- * in UCS-4 #ifdef CONFIG_UTF_8.  Test with is_kbd_character().
+ * Values >= 0 are characters; from term_event_char_T.
  *
  * Any at least 32-bit signed integer type would work here; using an
  * exact-width type hurts portability in principle, but some other
@@ -23,13 +35,24 @@ typedef enum {
 	KBD_MOD_ALT	= 4
 } term_event_modifier_T;
 
+/* A key received from a terminal, with modifiers.  */
 struct term_event_keyboard {
 	term_event_key_T key;
 	term_event_modifier_T modifier;
 };
 
+/* Like struct term_event_keyboard but used in the interlink protocol
+ * between ELinks processes.  Because the processes may be running
+ * different versions of ELinks, especially if a new version has just
+ * been installed, this structure should be kept binary compatible as
+ * long as possible.  See bug 793 for a list of pending changes to the
+ * protocol.  */
 struct interlink_event_keyboard {
-	/* Values <= -2 are not used, for ELinks 0.11 compatibility.
+	/* This is like term_event_key_T but carries individual bytes
+	 * rather than entire characters, and uses different values
+	 * for special keys.
+	 *
+	 * Values <= -2 are not used, for ELinks 0.11 compatibility.
 	 * Value  == -1 is KBD_UNDEF; not sent via socket.
 	 * Values between 0 and 0xFF are bytes received from the terminal.
 	 * Values >= 0x100 are special; absolute values of constants
@@ -84,9 +107,10 @@ static inline int is_kbd_fkey(term_event_key_T key) { return key <= KBD_F1 && ke
 #define kbd_fkey_to_number(key) (KBD_F1 - (key) + 1)
 
 /* int is_kbd_character(term_event_key_T key);
- * Return true if @key is a character in some charset, rather than a
- * special key.  The character is not necessarily printable.  As for
- * which charset it is in, see the definition of term_event_key_T.  */
+ * Check whether @key is a character or a special key.
+ * Return true if @key is a character from term_event_char_T.
+ * (The character is not necessarily printable.)
+ * Return false if @key is a special key from enum term_event_special_key.  */
 #define is_kbd_character(key) ((key) >= 0)
 
 void