diff --git a/CRT.c b/CRT.c
index 983c601f..03f71ca7 100644
--- a/CRT.c
+++ b/CRT.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ in the source distribution for its full text.
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#include <langinfo.h>
 
 #define ColorPair(i,j) COLOR_PAIR((7-i)*8+j)
 
@@ -585,15 +586,11 @@ void CRT_init(int delay, int colorScheme) {
       CRT_colorScheme = 1;
    CRT_setColors(CRT_colorScheme);
 
+   /* initialize locale */
+   setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
+
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBNCURSESW
-   char *locale = setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL);
-   if (locale == NULL || locale[0] == '\0')
-      locale = setlocale(LC_CTYPE, NULL);
-   if (locale != NULL &&
-       (strstr(locale, "UTF-8") ||
-        strstr(locale, "utf-8") ||
-        strstr(locale, "UTF8")  ||
-        strstr(locale, "utf8")))
+   if(strcmp(nl_langinfo(CODESET), "UTF-8") == 0)
       CRT_utf8 = true;
    else
       CRT_utf8 = false;
diff --git a/htop.c b/htop.c
index 211489bb..a031cde3 100644
--- a/htop.c
+++ b/htop.c
@@ -184,20 +184,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    }
 #endif
    
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBNCURSESW
-   char *locale = setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL);
-   if (locale == NULL || locale[0] == '\0')
-      locale = setlocale(LC_CTYPE, NULL);
-   if (locale != NULL &&
-       (strstr(locale, "UTF-8") ||
-        strstr(locale, "utf-8") ||
-        strstr(locale, "UTF8")  ||
-        strstr(locale, "utf8")))
-      CRT_utf8 = true;
-   else
-      CRT_utf8 = false;
-#endif
-
    Process_setupColumnWidths();
    
    UsersTable* ut = UsersTable_new();