diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 5d21730e9d0cad0a3a342df6e6d9b2d6cfc861a4..17f84ea7cfebd5fbc0634ed678837cd8e629c76e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1055,6 +1055,10 @@ PBX_LIBXML2
 LIBXML2_DIR
 LIBXML2_INCLUDE
 LIBXML2_LIB
+PBX_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE
+LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_DIR
+LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_INCLUDE
+LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_LIB
 PBX_LIBEDIT
 LIBEDIT_DIR
 LIBEDIT_INCLUDE
@@ -10733,6 +10737,18 @@ fi
 
 
 
+LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_DESCRIP="Libedit compiled for unicode"
+LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_OPTION=libedit
+LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_DIR=${LIBEDIT_DIR}
+
+PBX_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE=0
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
     LIBXML2_DESCRIP="LibXML2"
     LIBXML2_OPTION="libxml2"
     PBX_LIBXML2=0
@@ -21129,11 +21145,58 @@ fi
    fi
 
       if test "$PBX_LIBEDIT" = "1"; then
-	 LIBEDIT_INTERNAL="no"
+      LIBEDIT_INTERNAL="no"
       fi
    fi
    if test "${LIBEDIT_INTERNAL}" = "yes"; then
       PBX_LIBEDIT=1
+      LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE=no
+   else
+
+    if test "x${PBX_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE}" != "x1" -a "${USE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE}" != "no"; then
+        if test "xTesting for libedit unicode support" != "x"; then
+            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Testing for libedit unicode support" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for Testing for libedit unicode support... " >&6; }
+	else
+            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking if \"el_rfunc_t *callback;\" compiles using histedit.h" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking if \"el_rfunc_t *callback;\" compiles using histedit.h... " >&6; }
+	fi
+	saved_cppflags="${CPPFLAGS}"
+	if test "x${LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_DIR}" != "x"; then
+	    LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_INCLUDE="-I${LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_DIR}/include"
+	fi
+	CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} ${LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE_INCLUDE}"
+
+	cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+ #include <histedit.h>
+int
+main ()
+{
+ el_rfunc_t *callback;;
+
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
+     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+		PBX_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE=1
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+
+
+else
+         { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+	CPPFLAGS="${saved_cppflags}"
+    fi
+
    fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ea55df41634da292d2df349174b550bc883e0e98..7261e535c466a404ebd5d330e93879bb81eb05ac 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP([KQUEUE], [kqueue support], [kqueue])
 AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP([LDAP], [OpenLDAP], [ldap])
 AST_LIBCURL_CHECK_CONFIG([], [7.10.1])
 AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP([LIBEDIT], [NetBSD Editline library], [libedit], [, use 'internal' Editline otherwise])
+AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP_OPTIONAL([LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE], [Libedit compiled for unicode], [LIBEDIT], [libedit])
 AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP([LIBXML2], [LibXML2], [libxml2])
 AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP([LIBXSLT], [LibXSLT], [libxslt])
 AST_EXT_LIB_SETUP_OPTIONAL([LIBXSLT_CLEANUP], [LibXSLT Library Cleanup Function], [LIBXSLT], [libxslt])
@@ -1530,11 +1531,14 @@ if test "${USE_LIBEDIT}" != "no"; then
    if test "${LIBEDIT_SYSTEM}" = "yes"; then
       AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK(LIBEDIT, libedit)
       if test "$PBX_LIBEDIT" = "1"; then
-	 LIBEDIT_INTERNAL="no"
+      LIBEDIT_INTERNAL="no"
       fi
    fi
    if test "${LIBEDIT_INTERNAL}" = "yes"; then
       PBX_LIBEDIT=1
+      LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE=no
+   else
+      AST_C_COMPILE_CHECK([LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE], [el_rfunc_t *callback;], [histedit.h], [], [Testing for libedit unicode support])
    fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/include/asterisk/autoconfig.h.in b/include/asterisk/autoconfig.h.in
index 706798ced35788ded365dadeb5f09c69fadcfb64..3673c8bc20c586b015c989927bc6adbeab952035 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/autoconfig.h.in
+++ b/include/asterisk/autoconfig.h.in
@@ -402,6 +402,9 @@
 /* Define if your system has the LIBEDIT libraries. */
 #undef HAVE_LIBEDIT
 
+/* Define if your system has the LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE headers. */
+#undef HAVE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE
+
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <libintl.h> header file. */
 #undef HAVE_LIBINTL_H
 
diff --git a/main/asterisk.c b/main/asterisk.c
index be6c7cc3242c72b8ba767b46daeef2c9efd25d10..4a6567f73eba58bb82ff88beb18d7a079e14916b 100644
--- a/main/asterisk.c
+++ b/main/asterisk.c
@@ -2691,7 +2691,11 @@ static void send_rasterisk_connect_commands(void)
 	}
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE
+static int ast_el_read_char(EditLine *editline, wchar_t *cp)
+#else
 static int ast_el_read_char(EditLine *editline, char *cp)
+#endif
 {
 	int num_read = 0;
 	int lastpos = 0;
@@ -2721,10 +2725,16 @@ static int ast_el_read_char(EditLine *editline, char *cp)
 		}
 
 		if (!ast_opt_exec && fds[1].revents) {
-			num_read = read(STDIN_FILENO, cp, 1);
+			char c = '\0';
+			num_read = read(STDIN_FILENO, &c, 1);
 			if (num_read < 1) {
 				break;
 			} else {
+#ifdef 	HAVE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE
+				*cp = btowc(c);
+#else
+				*cp = c;
+#endif
 				return (num_read);
 			}
 		}
@@ -2768,7 +2778,11 @@ static int ast_el_read_char(EditLine *editline, char *cp)
 			console_print(buf);
 
 			if ((res < EL_BUF_SIZE - 1) && ((buf[res-1] == '\n') || (res >= 2 && buf[res-2] == '\n'))) {
+#ifdef 	HAVE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE
+				*cp = btowc(CC_REFRESH);
+#else
 				*cp = CC_REFRESH;
+#endif
 				return(1);
 			} else {
 				lastpos = 1;
@@ -2776,7 +2790,12 @@ static int ast_el_read_char(EditLine *editline, char *cp)
 		}
 	}
 
+#ifdef 	HAVE_LIBEDIT_IS_UNICODE
+	*cp = btowc('\0');
+#else
 	*cp = '\0';
+#endif
+
 	return (0);
 }