diff --git a/data/rc.xml b/data/rc.xml
index a9a7a35..1f66840 100644
--- a/data/rc.xml
+++ b/data/rc.xml
@@ -637,6 +637,14 @@
        entry in parent menu
        if this is a negative value, then the delay is infinite and the
        submenu will not be hidden until a different submenu is opened -->
+  <utf8Enabled>no</utf8Enabled>
+  <!-- set to 'yes' to enable utf8 (unicode) support for menu shortcuts
+       this includes automatic selection of first suitable character and
+       manual setting with a prepended underscore -->
+  <utf8AllowGraph>no</utf8AllowGraph>
+  <!-- set to 'yes' (utf8Enabled must also be set to 'yes') to allow the use of
+       any printable utf8 (unicode) character as a menu shortcut
+       by default ('no'), shortcuts are restricted to alphanumeric characters -->
   <showIcons>yes</showIcons>
   <!-- controls if icons appear in the client-list-(combined-)menu -->
   <manageDesktops>yes</manageDesktops>
diff --git a/data/rc.xsd b/data/rc.xsd
index c8f5638..9578b84 100644
--- a/data/rc.xsd
+++ b/data/rc.xsd
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@
             <xsd:element maxOccurs="unbounded" name="file" type="xsd:string"/>
             <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="hideDelay" type="xsd:integer"/>
             <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="middle" type="ob:bool"/>
+            <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="utf8Enabled" type="ob:bool"/>
+            <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="utf8AllowGraph" type="ob:bool"/>
             <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="submenuShowDelay" type="xsd:integer"/>
             <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="showIcons" type="ob:bool"/>
             <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="manageDesktops" type="ob:bool"/>
diff --git a/openbox/config.c b/openbox/config.c
index 436c555..709c777 100644
--- a/openbox/config.c
+++ b/openbox/config.c
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ guint    config_submenu_show_delay;
 guint    config_submenu_hide_delay;
 gboolean config_menu_manage_desktops;
 gboolean config_menu_show_icons;
+gboolean config_menu_utf8_enabled;
+gboolean config_menu_utf8_allow_graph;
 
 GSList *config_menu_files;
 
@@ -964,8 +966,13 @@ static void parse_menu(xmlNodePtr node, gpointer d)
         config_submenu_hide_delay = obt_xml_node_int(n);
     if ((n = obt_xml_find_node(node, "manageDesktops")))
         config_menu_manage_desktops = obt_xml_node_bool(n);
+    if ((n = obt_xml_find_node(node, "utf8Enabled"))) 
+        config_menu_utf8_enabled = obt_xml_node_bool(n);
+    if ((n = obt_xml_find_node(node, "utf8AllowGraph"))) 
+        config_menu_utf8_allow_graph = obt_xml_node_bool(n);
     if ((n = obt_xml_find_node(node, "showIcons"))) {
         config_menu_show_icons = obt_xml_node_bool(n);
+
 #if !defined(USE_IMLIB2) && !defined(USE_LIBRSVG)
         if (config_menu_show_icons)
             g_message(_("Openbox was compiled without image loading support. Icons in menus will not be loaded."));
@@ -1180,6 +1187,8 @@ void config_startup(ObtXmlInst *i)
     config_submenu_show_delay = 100;
     config_submenu_hide_delay = 400;
     config_menu_manage_desktops = TRUE;
+    config_menu_utf8_enabled = FALSE;
+    config_menu_utf8_allow_graph = FALSE;
     config_menu_files = NULL;
     config_menu_show_icons = TRUE;
 
diff --git a/openbox/config.h b/openbox/config.h
index 5a694c0..d4f5130 100644
--- a/openbox/config.h
+++ b/openbox/config.h
@@ -210,6 +210,10 @@ extern guint    config_submenu_show_delay;
 extern guint    config_submenu_hide_delay;
 /*! Show manage desktops in client_list_menu */
 extern gboolean config_menu_manage_desktops;
+/*! Enable utf8 support in menus */
+extern gboolean config_menu_utf8_enabled;
+/*! Allow using all graphs as menu shortcuts */
+extern gboolean config_menu_utf8_allow_graph;
 /*! Load & show icons in user-defined menus */
 extern gboolean config_menu_show_icons;
 /*! User-specified menu files */
diff --git a/openbox/menu.c b/openbox/menu.c
index 8804e12..a708b38 100644
--- a/openbox/menu.c
+++ b/openbox/menu.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ static void menu_destroy_hash_value(ObMenu *self);
 static void parse_menu_item(xmlNodePtr node, gpointer data);
 static void parse_menu_separator(xmlNodePtr node, gpointer data);
 static void parse_menu(xmlNodePtr node, gpointer data);
+static gboolean is_valid_shortcut(gchar *c);
 static gunichar parse_shortcut(const gchar *label, gboolean allow_shortcut,
                                gchar **strippedlabel, guint *position,
                                gboolean *always_show);
@@ -201,6 +202,19 @@ static ObMenu* menu_from_name(gchar *name)
                            ((c) >= 'A' && (c) <= 'Z') || \
                            ((c) >= 'a' && (c) <= 'z'))
 
+static gboolean is_valid_shortcut(gchar *c)
+{
+    gunichar uc;
+
+    if(!config_menu_utf8_enabled)   // unless utf8 support is explicitly enabled in config
+        return VALID_SHORTCUT(*c);  // preserve old behaviour
+
+    uc = g_utf8_get_char_validated(c, MAX(OB_MAX_UTF8_CHAR_SZ, strlen(c)));
+    g_assert(uc > ((gunichar) - 1));
+
+    return config_menu_utf8_allow_graph ? g_unichar_isgraph(uc) : g_unichar_isalnum(uc); 
+}
+
 static gunichar parse_shortcut(const gchar *label, gboolean allow_shortcut,
                                gchar **strippedlabel, guint *position,
                                gboolean *always_show)
@@ -228,7 +242,7 @@ static gunichar parse_shortcut(const gchar *label, gboolean allow_shortcut,
         i = *strippedlabel;
         do {
             escape = FALSE;
-            i = strchr(i, '_');
+            i = config_menu_utf8_enabled ? g_utf8_strchr(i, -1, '_') : strchr(i, '_');
             if (i && *(i+1) == '_') {
                 gchar *j;
 
@@ -244,10 +258,16 @@ static gunichar parse_shortcut(const gchar *label, gboolean allow_shortcut,
         if (allow_shortcut && i != NULL) {
             /* there is an underscore in the string */
 
-            /* you have to use a printable ascii character for shortcuts
+            /* without utf8Enabled:
+                you have to use an alphanumeric ascii character for shortcuts
+
+               with utf8Enabled:
+                iff not utf8AllowGraph, you have to use an alphanumeric utf8 character
+                else any graph will do (printable character excluding whitespace/formatting
+
                don't allow space either, so you can have like "a _ b"
             */
-            if (VALID_SHORTCUT(*(i+1))) {
+            if (is_valid_shortcut(i+1)) {
                 shortcut = g_unichar_tolower(g_utf8_get_char(i+1));
                 *position = i - *strippedlabel;
                 *always_show = TRUE;
@@ -267,7 +287,7 @@ static gunichar parse_shortcut(const gchar *label, gboolean allow_shortcut,
                instead */
 
             for (i = *strippedlabel; *i != '\0'; ++i)
-                if (VALID_SHORTCUT(*i)) {
+                if (is_valid_shortcut(i)) {
                     *position = i - *strippedlabel;
                     shortcut = g_unichar_tolower(g_utf8_get_char(i));
                     break;
diff --git a/openbox/misc.h b/openbox/misc.h
index 750dddd..43b686a 100644
--- a/openbox/misc.h
+++ b/openbox/misc.h
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 #ifndef __ob__misc_h
 #define __ob__misc_h
 
+
+#define OB_MAX_UTF8_CHAR_SZ 4
+
 /*! The alpha value to use for icons of iconified windows in various places
   like the focus cycle popup and client list menus.
   Give iconic windows 7/16 alpha. A little under 50%.