diff --git a/random.c b/random.c
index 4bbc50d..71fe0a7 100644
--- a/random.c
+++ b/random.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ int showcpos(int f, int n)
 	int numlines;	/* # of lines in file */
 	long predchars;	/* # chars preceding point */
 	int predlines;	/* # lines preceding point */
-	int curchar;	/* character under cursor */
+	unicode_t curchar ;	/* character under cursor */
 	int ratio;
 	int col;
 	int savepos;		/* temp save for current offset */
@@ -91,12 +91,15 @@ int showcpos(int f, int n)
 	while (lp != curbp->b_linep) {
 		/* if we are on the current line, record it */
 		if (lp == curwp->w_dotp) {
+			int len ;
+			
 			predlines = numlines;
 			predchars = numchars + curwp->w_doto;
-			if ((curwp->w_doto) == llength(lp))
+			len = llength( lp) ;				
+			if( (curwp->w_doto) == len)
 				curchar = '\n';
 			else
-				curchar = lgetc(lp, curwp->w_doto);
+				(void) utf8_to_unicode( lp->l_text, curwp->w_doto, len, &curchar) ;
 		}
 		/* on to the next line */
 		++numlines;
diff --git a/utf8.c b/utf8.c
index 07ea48f..4ee423f 100644
--- a/utf8.c
+++ b/utf8.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ unsigned unicode_to_utf8(unsigned int c, char *utf8)
 			bytes++;
 			prefix >>= 1;
 			c >>= 6;
-		} while (c > prefix);
+		} while( c >= prefix) ;
 		*p = c - 2*prefix;
 		reverse_string(utf8, p);
 	}