--- gnucash-2.2.3/src/gnome-utils/gnc-file.c.orig	2008-01-08 04:06:26 +0300
+++ gnucash-2.2.3/src/gnome-utils/gnc-file.c	2008-02-28 16:19:56 +0300
@@ -129,9 +129,12 @@
     gtk_dialog_add_button(GTK_DIALOG(file_box),
 			  okbutton, GTK_RESPONSE_ACCEPT);
 
-  if (starting_dir)
+  if (starting_dir) {
+    char *local_starting_dir = g_filename_from_utf8(starting_dir, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL);
     gtk_file_chooser_set_current_folder(GTK_FILE_CHOOSER (file_box),
-					starting_dir);
+					local_starting_dir);
+    g_free(local_starting_dir);
+  }
 
   gtk_window_set_modal(GTK_WINDOW(file_box), TRUE);
   /*
@@ -172,7 +175,13 @@
       /* nope, a local file name */
       internal_name = gtk_file_chooser_get_filename(GTK_FILE_CHOOSER (file_box));
     }
-    file_name = g_strdup(internal_name);
+    if (!g_utf8_validate(internal_name, -1, NULL)) {
+      file_name = g_filename_to_utf8(internal_name, -1, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+      if(!file_name)
+        g_warning("Some characters in the filename is neither UTF-8 nor your local encoding\n");
+    }
+    if(!file_name)
+      file_name = g_strdup(internal_name);
   }
   gtk_widget_destroy(GTK_WIDGET(file_box));
   LEAVE("%s", file_name ? file_name : "(null)");