diff --git a/src/Table.cpp b/src/Table.cpp
index 76197547a..34773df9a 100644
--- a/src/Table.cpp
+++ b/src/Table.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ void Table::setTableDashedUnderline ()
 int Table::addColumn (const std::string& col)
 {
   mSpecifiedWidth.push_back (minimum);
-  mMaxDataWidth.push_back (col == "" ? 1 : col.length ());
+  mMaxDataWidth.push_back (col == "" ? 1 : getCharLength (col));
   mCalculatedWidth.push_back (0);
   mColumnPadding.push_back (0);
 
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ void Table::setRowColor (const int row, const Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void Table::addCell (const int row, const int col, const std::string& data)
 {
-  unsigned int length = 0;
+  int length = 0;
 
   if (mCommify.find (col) != mCommify.end ())
     mData.add (row, col, commify (data));
@@ -193,14 +193,14 @@ void Table::addCell (const int row, const int col, const std::string& data)
     std::vector <std::string> lines;
     split (lines, data, "\n");
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < lines.size (); ++i)
-      if (lines[i].length () > length)
-        length = lines[i].length ();
+      if (getCharLength (lines[i]) > length)
+        length = getCharLength (lines[i]);
   }
   else
-    length = data.length ();
+    length = getCharLength (data);
 
   // Automatically maintain max width.
-  mMaxDataWidth[col] = max (mMaxDataWidth[col], (int)length);
+  mMaxDataWidth[col] = max (mMaxDataWidth[col], length);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -435,6 +435,25 @@ Table::just Table::getHeaderJustification (int col)
        : left;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+int Table::getCharLength (const std::string& str)
+{
+	int byteLength = str.length ();
+	int charLength = byteLength;
+	const char* data = str.data ();
+
+	// decrement the number of bytes for each byte that matches 0b10??????
+	// this way only the first byte of any utf8 sequence is counted
+	for (int i = 0; i < byteLength; i++)
+  {
+		// extract the two MSB and check whether they are 10
+		if ((data[i] & 0xC0) == 0x80)
+			charLength--;
+	}
+
+	return charLength;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // data            One    Data to be rendered
 // width           8      Max data width for column/specified width
@@ -459,7 +478,7 @@ const std::string Table::formatHeader (
 
   std::string data = mColumns[col];
   Color c = getHeaderUnderline (col);
-  int gap = width - strippedLength (data);
+  int gap = width - strippedLength (data);  // TODO Does this need Table::getCharLength too?
 
   std::string pad = std::string (padding, ' ');
 
@@ -542,7 +561,7 @@ void Table::formatCell (
   for (size_t chunk = 0; chunk < chunks.size (); ++chunk)
   {
     // Place the data within the available space - justify.
-    int gap = width - chunks[chunk].length ();
+    int gap = width - getCharLength (chunks[chunk]);
 
     preJust = "";
     postJust = "";
diff --git a/src/Table.h b/src/Table.h
index 01d8e3cf8..0b791d91b 100644
--- a/src/Table.h
+++ b/src/Table.h
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ private:
            void calculateColumnWidths ();
            just getJustification (const int, const int);
            just getHeaderJustification (const int);
+           int getCharLength (const std::string&);
            const std::string formatHeader (const int, const int, const int);
            const std::string formatHeaderDashedUnderline (const int, const int, const int);
            void formatCell (const int, const int, const int, const int, const int, std::vector <std::string>&, std::string&);