diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2dff3c10d..d576db53d 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ Features
    that are not yet modified.
  + ColPriority.cpp - Migration of column modification code out of Task.cpp and
    into the individual column object.
+ + The configuration file now supports JSON encoding of Unicode characters, by
+   specifying \uNNNN.
  + Now requires libuuid (thanks to Martin Natano).
 
 Bugs
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index ecc78d3ce..1d0aaca4f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ New configuration options in taskwarrior 2.3.0
   - 'taskd.credentials' specifies user credentials for the task server.
   - 'taskd.certificate' specifies the task server certificate.
   - 'debug.tls' shows TLS log information, for debugging.
+  - The configuration file supports JSON encoding of unicode characters \uNNNN.
 
 Newly deprecated features in taskwarrior 2.3.0
   
diff --git a/doc/man/taskrc.5.in b/doc/man/taskrc.5.in
index a816c9ed4..208763f15 100644
--- a/doc/man/taskrc.5.in
+++ b/doc/man/taskrc.5.in
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ The hash mark, or pound sign ("#") is used as a comment character. It can be
 used to annotate the configuration file. All text after the character to the end
 of the line is ignored.
 
+The configuration file supports UTF8 as well as JSON encoding, such as \\uNNNN.
+
 Note that taskwarrior is flexible about the values used to represent Boolean
 items.  You can use "on", "yes", "y", "1" and "true".
 Anything else means "off".
diff --git a/src/Config.cpp b/src/Config.cpp
index 50168cd48..11f15b5e3 100644
--- a/src/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include <Date.h>
 #include <File.h>
 #include <Timer.h>
+#include <JSON.h>
 #include <Config.h>
 #include <text.h>
 #include <util.h>
@@ -496,7 +497,7 @@ void Config::parse (const std::string& input, int nest /* = 1 */)
         std::string key   = trim (line.substr (0, equal), " \t"); // no i18n
         std::string value = trim (line.substr (equal+1, line.length () - equal), " \t"); // no i18n
 
-        (*this)[key] = value;
+        (*this)[key] = json::decode (value);
       }
       else
       {
@@ -551,7 +552,7 @@ void Config::createDefaultRC (const std::string& rc, const std::string& data)
            << "\n";
 
   // Write out the new file.
-  if (! File::write (rc, contents.str ()))
+  if (! File::write (rc, json::encode (contents.str ())))
     throw format (STRING_CONFIG_BAD_WRITE, rc);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdConfig.cpp b/src/commands/CmdConfig.cpp
index 204d90a5f..d595afb63 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdConfig.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <Context.h>
+#include <JSON.h>
 #include <i18n.h>
 #include <text.h>
 #include <util.h>
@@ -103,9 +104,9 @@ int CmdConfig::execute (std::string& output)
             if (confirm (format (STRING_CMD_CONFIG_CONFIRM, name, context.config.get (name), value)))
             {
               if (comment != std::string::npos)
-                *line = name + "=" + value + " " + line->substr (comment);
+                *line = name + "=" + json::encode (value) + " " + line->substr (comment);
               else
-                *line = name + "=" + value;
+                *line = name + "=" + json::encode (value);
 
               change = true;
             }
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ int CmdConfig::execute (std::string& output)
         if (!found &&
             confirm (format (STRING_CMD_CONFIG_CONFIRM2, name, value)))
         {
-          contents.push_back (name + "=" + value);
+          contents.push_back (name + "=" + json::encode (value));
           change = true;
         }
       }