diff --git a/src/strings.lisp b/src/strings.lisp
index 543434f..0fefdf0 100644
--- a/src/strings.lisp
+++ b/src/strings.lisp
@@ -141,12 +141,14 @@ that LW/CMU automatically converts strings from c-calls."
   (let ((size (gensym))
         (storage (gensym))
         (stored-obj (gensym))
+	#+sb-unicode (converted (gensym))
         (i (gensym)))
     `(let ((,stored-obj ,obj))
        (etypecase ,stored-obj
          (null
           (sb-alien:sap-alien (sb-sys:int-sap 0) (* (sb-alien:unsigned 8))))
          (string
+	  #-sb-unicode
           (let* ((,size (length ,stored-obj))
                  (,storage (sb-alien:make-alien (sb-alien:unsigned 8) (1+ ,size))))
             (setq ,storage (sb-alien:cast ,storage (* (sb-alien:unsigned 8))))
@@ -157,7 +159,20 @@ that LW/CMU automatically converts strings from c-calls."
                 (setf (sb-alien:deref ,storage ,i)
                       (char-code (char ,stored-obj ,i))))
               (setf (sb-alien:deref ,storage ,size) 0))
-            ,storage)))))
+            ,storage)
+	  #+sb-unicode
+	  (let* ((,converted (sb-impl::output-to-c-string/utf-8 ,stored-obj))
+		 (,size (length ,converted))
+		 (,storage (sb-alien:make-alien (sb-alien:unsigned 8) ,size)))
+	    (setq ,storage (sb-alien:cast ,storage (* (sb-alien:unsigned 8))))
+	    (locally
+		(declare (optimize (speed 3) (safety 0)))
+	      (dotimes (,i ,size)
+		(declare (fixnum ,i))
+		(setf (sb-alien:deref ,storage ,i)
+		      (aref ,converted ,i))))
+	    ,storage)
+	  ))))
   #+(or openmcl digitool)
   (let ((stored-obj (gensym)))
     `(let ((,stored-obj ,obj))
@@ -267,13 +282,18 @@ that LW/CMU automatically converts strings from c-calls."
   `(new-ptr ,size)
   )
 
-(defun foreign-string-length (foreign-string)
+(defmacro foreign-string-length (foreign-string)
   #+allegro `(ff:foreign-strlen ,foreign-string)
-  #-allegro
+  #+(and (not allegro) (not sb-unicode))
   `(loop with size = 0
-    until (char= (deref-array ,foreign-string '(:array :unsigned-char) size) #\Null)
-    do (incf size)
-    finally return size))
+      until (char= (deref-array ,foreign-string '(:array :unsigned-char) size) #\Null)
+      do (incf size)
+      finally (return size))
+  #+(and sbcl sb-unicode)
+  `(loop with size = 0
+      until (= (deref-array ,foreign-string '(:array :utf-8) size) 0)
+      do (incf size)
+      finally (return size)))
 
 
 (defmacro with-foreign-string ((foreign-string lisp-string) &body body)