diff --git a/libvo/x11_common.c b/libvo/x11_common.c
index cdbbc213b5..3f55fa2f93 100644
--- a/libvo/x11_common.c
+++ b/libvo/x11_common.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
+#include "bstr.h"
 #include "options.h"
 #include "mp_msg.h"
 #include "mp_fifo.h"
@@ -422,6 +423,8 @@ int vo_init(struct vo *vo)
     x11->screen = DefaultScreen(x11->display);  // screen ID
     x11->rootwin = RootWindow(x11->display, x11->screen);   // root window ID
 
+    x11->xim = XOpenIM(x11->display, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
     init_atoms(vo->x11);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_XF86VM
@@ -523,6 +526,8 @@ void vo_uninit(struct vo_x11_state *x11)
                "vo: x11 uninit called but X11 not initialized..\n");
     } else {
         mp_msg(MSGT_VO, MSGL_V, "vo: uninit ...\n");
+        if (x11->xim)
+            XCloseIM(x11->xim);
         XSetErrorHandler(NULL);
         XCloseDisplay(x11->display);
         x11->depthonscreen = 0;
@@ -533,24 +538,6 @@ void vo_uninit(struct vo_x11_state *x11)
 
 #include "wskeys.h"
 
-#ifdef XF86XK_AudioPause
-static const struct mp_keymap keysym_map[] = {
-    {XF86XK_MenuKB, KEY_MENU},
-    {XF86XK_AudioPlay, KEY_PLAY}, {XF86XK_AudioPause, KEY_PAUSE}, {XF86XK_AudioStop, KEY_STOP},
-    {XF86XK_AudioPrev, KEY_PREV}, {XF86XK_AudioNext, KEY_NEXT},
-    {XF86XK_AudioMute, KEY_MUTE}, {XF86XK_AudioLowerVolume, KEY_VOLUME_DOWN}, {XF86XK_AudioRaiseVolume, KEY_VOLUME_UP},
-    {0, 0}
-};
-
-static void vo_x11_putkey_ext(struct vo *vo, int keysym, int modifiers)
-{
-    struct mp_fifo *f = vo->key_fifo;
-    int mpkey = lookup_keymap_table(keysym_map, keysym);
-    if (mpkey)
-        mplayer_put_key(f, mpkey + modifiers);
-}
-#endif
-
 static const struct mp_keymap keymap[] = {
     // special keys
     {wsPause, KEY_PAUSE}, {wsEscape, KEY_ESC}, {wsBackSpace, KEY_BS},
@@ -584,10 +571,17 @@ static const struct mp_keymap keymap[] = {
     {wsGrayRight, KEY_KP6}, {wsGrayHome, KEY_KP7}, {wsGrayUp, KEY_KP8},
     {wsGrayPgUp, KEY_KP9}, {wsGrayDelete, KEY_KPDEL},
 
+#ifdef XF86XK_AudioPause
+    {XF86XK_MenuKB, KEY_MENU},
+    {XF86XK_AudioPlay, KEY_PLAY}, {XF86XK_AudioPause, KEY_PAUSE}, {XF86XK_AudioStop, KEY_STOP},
+    {XF86XK_AudioPrev, KEY_PREV}, {XF86XK_AudioNext, KEY_NEXT},
+    {XF86XK_AudioMute, KEY_MUTE}, {XF86XK_AudioLowerVolume, KEY_VOLUME_DOWN}, {XF86XK_AudioRaiseVolume, KEY_VOLUME_UP},
+#endif
+
     {0, 0}
 };
 
-static void vo_x11_putkey(struct vo *vo, int key, int modifiers)
+static int vo_x11_lookupkey(int key)
 {
     static const char *passthrough_keys = " -+*/<>`~!@#$%^&()_{}:;\"\',.?\\|=[]";
     int mpkey = 0;
@@ -600,8 +594,7 @@ static void vo_x11_putkey(struct vo *vo, int key, int modifiers)
     if (!mpkey)
         mpkey = lookup_keymap_table(keymap, key);
 
-    if (mpkey)
-        mplayer_put_key(vo->key_fifo, mpkey + modifiers);
+    return mpkey;
 }
 
 
@@ -746,6 +739,9 @@ void vo_x11_uninit(struct vo *vo)
             {
                 XEvent xev;
 
+                if (x11->xic)
+                    XDestroyIC(x11->xic);
+
                 XUnmapWindow(x11->display, x11->window);
                 XSelectInput(x11->display, x11->window, StructureNotifyMask);
                 XDestroyWindow(x11->display, x11->window);
@@ -785,8 +781,6 @@ int vo_x11_check_events(struct vo *vo)
     Display *display = vo->x11->display;
     int ret = 0;
     XEvent Event;
-    char buf[100];
-    KeySym keySym;
 
     if (x11->vo_mouse_autohide && x11->mouse_waiting_hide &&
                                  (GetTimerMS() - x11->mouse_timer >= 1000)) {
@@ -812,8 +806,8 @@ int vo_x11_check_events(struct vo *vo)
                 break;
             case KeyPress:
                 {
-                    XLookupString(&Event.xkey, buf, sizeof(buf), &keySym,
-                                  &x11->compose_status);
+                    char buf[100];
+                    KeySym keySym = 0;
                     int modifiers = 0;
                     if (Event.xkey.state & ShiftMask)
                         modifiers |= KEY_MODIFIER_SHIFT;
@@ -823,10 +817,27 @@ int vo_x11_check_events(struct vo *vo)
                         modifiers |= KEY_MODIFIER_ALT;
                     if (Event.xkey.state & Mod4Mask)
                         modifiers |= KEY_MODIFIER_META;
-#ifdef XF86XK_AudioPause
-                    vo_x11_putkey_ext(vo, keySym, modifiers);
-#endif
-                    vo_x11_putkey(vo, keySym, modifiers);
+                    if (x11->xic) {
+                        Status status;
+                        int len = Xutf8LookupString(x11->xic, &Event.xkey, buf,
+                                                    sizeof(buf), &keySym,
+                                                    &status);
+                        int mpkey = vo_x11_lookupkey(keySym);
+                        if (mpkey) {
+                            mplayer_put_key(vo->key_fifo, mpkey | modifiers);
+                        } else if (status == XLookupChars
+                                   || status == XLookupBoth)
+                        {
+                            struct bstr t = { buf, len };
+                            mplayer_put_key_utf8(vo->key_fifo, modifiers, t);
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        XLookupString(&Event.xkey, buf, sizeof(buf), &keySym,
+                                      &x11->compose_status);
+                        int mpkey = vo_x11_lookupkey(keySym);
+                        if (mpkey)
+                            mplayer_put_key(vo->key_fifo, mpkey | modifiers);
+                    }
                     ret |= VO_EVENT_KEYPRESS;
                 }
                 break;
@@ -1144,6 +1155,11 @@ void vo_x11_create_vo_window(struct vo *vo, XVisualInfo *vis, int x, int y,
     XSetWMNormalHints(mDisplay, x11->window, &hint);
     if (!vo_border) vo_x11_decoration(vo, 0);
     // map window
+    x11->xic = XCreateIC(x11->xim,
+                         XNInputStyle, XIMPreeditNone | XIMStatusNone,
+                         XNClientWindow, x11->window,
+                         XNFocusWindow, x11->window,
+                         NULL);
     XSelectInput(mDisplay, x11->window, NoEventMask);
     vo_x11_selectinput_witherr(mDisplay, x11->window,
           StructureNotifyMask | KeyPressMask | PointerMotionMask |
diff --git a/libvo/x11_common.h b/libvo/x11_common.h
index a8b13cc690..6ba2780747 100644
--- a/libvo/x11_common.h
+++ b/libvo/x11_common.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ struct vo_x11_state {
     int display_is_local;
     int depthonscreen;
 
+    XIM xim;
+    XIC xic;
+
     GC vo_gc;
 
     struct xv_ck_info_s {