diff --git a/gramps/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py b/gramps/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py
index de91c7a7e..eebbf1de4 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ from gi.repository import Gtk
 from gi.repository import Pango
 import time
 import os
+import io
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import cuni
 from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.get_translation().gettext
 import sys
@@ -1169,17 +1171,17 @@ class GrampletPane(Gtk.ScrolledWindow):
             return # something is the matter
         filename = self.configfile
         try:
-            fp = open(filename, "w")
+            fp = io.open(filename, "w", encoding='utf-8')
         except IOError:
             print("Failed writing '%s'; gramplets not saved" % filename)
             return
-        fp.write(";; Gramps gramplets file" + NL)
-        fp.write((";; Automatically created at %s" %
-                                 time.strftime("%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S")) + NL + NL)
-        fp.write("[Gramplet View Options]" + NL)
-        fp.write(("column_count=%d" + NL) % self.column_count)
-        fp.write(("pane_position=%d" + NL) % self.pane_position)
-        fp.write(("pane_orientation=%s" + NL) % self.pane_orientation)
+        fp.write(cuni(";; Gramps gramplets file" + NL))
+        fp.write(cuni((";; Automatically created at %s" %
+                                 time.strftime("%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S")) + NL + NL))
+        fp.write(cuni("[Gramplet View Options]" + NL))
+        fp.write(cuni(("column_count=%d" + NL) % self.column_count))
+        fp.write(cuni(("pane_position=%d" + NL) % self.pane_position))
+        fp.write(cuni(("pane_orientation=%s" + NL) % self.pane_orientation))
         fp.write(NL) 
         # showing gramplets:
         for col in range(self.column_count):
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/lib/libhtml.py b/gramps/plugins/lib/libhtml.py
index c232d1f6b..fe8a333a0 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/lib/libhtml.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/lib/libhtml.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 import re
 import locale
 
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE, cuni
 """
 HTML operations.
 
@@ -417,14 +417,14 @@ class Html(list):
         elif self.indent: 
             tabs += indent
         if self.inline:                         # if inline, write all list and
-            method('%s%s' % (tabs, self))       # nested list elements
+            method(cuni('%s%s' % (tabs, self)))       # nested list elements
 #
         else:
             for item in self[:]:                # else write one at a time
                 if isinstance(item, Html):      # recurse if nested Html class
                     item.write(method=method, indent=indent, tabs=tabs)
                 else:
-                    method('%s%s' % (tabs, item))         # else write the line
+                    method(cuni('%s%s' % (tabs, item)))  # else write the line
 #
     def addXML(self, version=1.0, encoding="UTF-8", standalone="no"):
         """