diff --git a/libmpdemux/asf_mmst_streaming.c b/libmpdemux/asf_mmst_streaming.c
index 24a7d8abd6..d0c8dd1c76 100644
--- a/libmpdemux/asf_mmst_streaming.c
+++ b/libmpdemux/asf_mmst_streaming.c
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@
 #include <winsock2.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef USE_ICONV
+#include <locale.h>
+#include <langinfo.h>
+#include <iconv.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "url.h"
 #include "asf.h"
 
@@ -103,6 +109,38 @@ static void send_command (int s, int command, uint32_t switches,
   }
 }
 
+#ifdef USE_ICONV
+static iconv_t url_conv;
+
+static void string_utf16_open() {
+    setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
+    url_conv = iconv_open("UTF-16LE",nl_langinfo(CODESET));
+}
+
+static void string_utf16_close() {
+
+    iconv_close(url_conv);
+}
+
+static void string_utf16(char *dest, char *src, int len) {
+    size_t len1, len2;
+    char *ip, *op;
+
+    memset(dest, 0, 1000);
+    len1 = len; len2 = 1000;
+    ip = src; op = dest;
+
+    iconv(url_conv, &ip, &len1, &op, &len2);
+}
+
+#else
+
+static void string_utf16_open() {
+}
+
+static void string_utf16_close() {
+}
+
 static void string_utf16(char *dest, char *src, int len) 
 {
   int i;
@@ -116,6 +154,7 @@ static void string_utf16(char *dest, char *src, int len)
   dest[i*2] = 0;
   dest[i*2+1] = 0;
 }
+#endif
 
 static void get_answer (int s) 
 {
@@ -462,6 +501,9 @@ int asf_mmst_streaming_start(stream_t *stream)
   * cmd 1 0x01 
   * */
 
+  /* prepare for the url encoding conversion */
+  string_utf16_open();
+
   snprintf (str, 1023, "\034\003NSPlayer/7.0.0.1956; {33715801-BAB3-9D85-24E9-03B90328270A}; Host: %s", url1->hostname);
   string_utf16 (data, str, strlen(str));
 // send_command(s, commandno ....)
@@ -557,5 +599,7 @@ int asf_mmst_streaming_start(stream_t *stream)
   packet_length1 = packet_length;
   printf("mmst packet_length = %d\n",packet_length);
 
+  string_utf16_close();
+
   return 0;
 }