diff --git a/otouto/plugins/xkcd.lua b/otouto/plugins/xkcd.lua
index 4e54572..b75ba78 100644
--- a/otouto/plugins/xkcd.lua
+++ b/otouto/plugins/xkcd.lua
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@ function xkcd:action(msg, config)
     else
         local data = JSON.decode(jstr)
         local output = string.format('*%s (*[%s](%s)*)*\n_%s_',
-            data.safe_title:gsub('*', '*\\**'),
+            utilities.fix_UTF8(data.safe_title):gsub('*', '*\\**'),
             data.num,
             data.img,
-            data.alt:gsub('_', '_\\__')
+            utilities.fix_UTF8(data.alt):gsub('_', '_\\__')
         )
         utilities.send_message(msg.chat.id, output, false, nil, true)
     end
diff --git a/otouto/utilities.lua b/otouto/utilities.lua
index 47e6def..1e89a9c 100644
--- a/otouto/utilities.lua
+++ b/otouto/utilities.lua
@@ -321,4 +321,15 @@ utilities.style.enquote = function(title, body)
     return '*' .. title:gsub('*', '\\*') .. ':*\n"' .. utilities.md_escape(body) .. '"'
 end
 
+-- Converts a string back into "proper" utf-8 from an ascii representation of utf-8
+-- it is only useful for fixing improper encoding caused by bad JSON escaping
+function utilities.fix_UTF8(str)
+	local t = {}
+	for p, c in utf8.codes(str) do
+		table.insert(t, string.char(c))
+	end
+	return table.concat(t)
+end
+
+
 return utilities