--- a/xterm/button.c	
+++ a/xterm/button.c	
@@ -1611,7 +1611,7 @@ SelectionReceived(Widget w,
 	    GettingSelection(dpy, *type, line, *length);
 
 #if OPT_WIDE_CHARS
-	    if (*type == XA_UTF8_STRING(dpy)) {
+	    if (*type == XA_UTF8_STRING(dpy) && screen->wide_chars) {
 		rc = Xutf8TextPropertyToTextList(dpy, &text_prop,
 						 &text_list, &text_list_count);
 		if (text_list != NULL && text_list_count != 0) {