diff --git a/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp b/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
index 2e2158555..6e090b618 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
@@ -2471,10 +2471,12 @@ int glestMain(int argc, char** argv) {
 
         if(config.getBool("EnableLegacyFonts","false") == true || hasCommandArgument(argc, argv,GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_ENABLE_LEGACYFONTS]) == true) {
         	Font::forceLegacyFonts = true;
+        	Renderer::renderText3DEnabled = false;
         	if(SystemFlags::VERBOSE_MODE_ENABLED) printf("**WARNING** Forcing Legacy Fonts Enabled\n");
         }
-
-        Renderer::renderText3DEnabled = config.getBool("Enable3DFontRendering",intToStr(Renderer::renderText3DEnabled).c_str());
+        else {
+        	Renderer::renderText3DEnabled = config.getBool("Enable3DFontRendering",intToStr(Renderer::renderText3DEnabled).c_str());
+        }
 
         if(hasCommandArgument(argc, argv,GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_USE_VIDEO_SETTINGS]) == true) {
 			int foundParamIndIndex = -1;
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/include/util/string_utils.h b/source/shared_lib/include/util/string_utils.h
index 89490282a..e478ef193 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/include/util/string_utils.h
+++ b/source/shared_lib/include/util/string_utils.h
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ namespace Shared { namespace Util {
         */
         static String ConvertToUTF8(const String& s);
 
+        static char* ConvertFromUTF8(const char* str);
+
         /*!
         ** \brief Formatted string
         ** \param format The format of the new string
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp b/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp
index 4345c0a65..ee972f366 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp
+++ b/source/shared_lib/sources/util/properties.cpp
@@ -289,14 +289,28 @@ void Properties::load(const string &path, bool clearCurrentProperties) {
 		//printf("\n[%ls]\n",lineBuffer);
 		//printf("\n[%s]\n",&lineBuffer[0]);
 
-		// If the file is NOT in UTF-8 format convert each line
-		if(is_utf8_language == false && Font::forceLegacyFonts == false) {
-			char *utfStr = String::ConvertToUTF8(&lineBuffer[0]);
+		if(lineBuffer[0] != '\0') {
+			// If the file is NOT in UTF-8 format convert each line
+			if(is_utf8_language == false && Font::forceLegacyFonts == false) {
+				char *utfStr = String::ConvertToUTF8(&lineBuffer[0]);
 
-			//printf("\nBefore [%s] After [%s]\n",&lineBuffer[0],utfStr);
+				//printf("\nBefore [%s] After [%s]\n",&lineBuffer[0],utfStr);
 
-			memset(&lineBuffer[0],0,maxLine);
-			memcpy(&lineBuffer[0],&utfStr[0],strlen(utfStr));
+				memset(&lineBuffer[0],0,maxLine);
+				memcpy(&lineBuffer[0],&utfStr[0],strlen(utfStr));
+
+				delete [] utfStr;
+			}
+			else if(is_utf8_language == true && Font::forceLegacyFonts == true) {
+				char *asciiStr = String::ConvertFromUTF8(&lineBuffer[0]);
+
+				//printf("\nBefore [%s] After [%s]\n",&lineBuffer[0],utfStr);
+
+				memset(&lineBuffer[0],0,maxLine);
+				memcpy(&lineBuffer[0],&asciiStr[0],strlen(asciiStr));
+
+				delete [] asciiStr;
+			}
 		}
 
 //		bool isRLM = utf8::starts_with_rlm(&lineBuffer[0], &lineBuffer[0] + strlen(lineBuffer));
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/sources/util/string_utils.cpp b/source/shared_lib/sources/util/string_utils.cpp
index f5ea0343b..45f56186a 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/sources/util/string_utils.cpp
+++ b/source/shared_lib/sources/util/string_utils.cpp
@@ -346,6 +346,99 @@ namespace Shared { namespace Util {
     }
 
 
+    char* String::ConvertFromUTF8(const char* str) {
+
+/*
+    	int length = strlen(str);
+    	char *pBuffer = new char[length * 8];
+    	memset(pBuffer,0,length * 8);
+
+		int len = 0;
+		for(unsigned int i = 0 ; i < length; i++)
+		{
+			if (((Shared::Platform::byte)str[i]) < 0x80)
+			{
+				pBuffer[len++] = ((Shared::Platform::byte)str[i]);
+				continue;
+			}
+			if (((Shared::Platform::byte)str[i]) >= 0xC0)
+			{
+				wchar_t c = ((Shared::Platform::byte)str[i++]) - 0xC0;
+				while(((Shared::Platform::byte)str[i]) >= 0x80)
+					c = (c << 6) | (((Shared::Platform::byte)str[i++]) - 0x80);
+				--i;
+				pBuffer[len++] = c;
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+		pBuffer[len] = 0;
+		return pBuffer;
+*/
+
+        const unsigned char *in = reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char*>(str);
+        int len = strlen(str);
+        char *out = new char[len*8];
+        memset(out,0,len*8);
+		int outc;
+		int inpos = 0;
+		int outpos = 0;
+		while (inpos < len || len == -1) {
+			  if (in[inpos]<0x80) {
+			   out[outpos++] = in[inpos];
+			   if (in[inpos] == 0 && len == -1)
+				break;
+			   inpos++;
+			 }
+			 else if (in[inpos]<0xE0) {
+				 // Shouldn't happen.
+				 if(in[inpos]<0xC0 || (len!=-1 && inpos+1 >= len) ||
+				  (in[inpos+1]&0xC0)!= 0x80) {
+					 out[outpos++] = '?';
+					 inpos++;
+					 continue;
+				 }
+				 outc =	((((wchar_t)in[inpos])&0x1F)<<6) |
+						 (((wchar_t)in[inpos+1])&0x3F);
+				 if (outc < 256)
+					 out[outpos] = ((char*)&outc)[0];
+				 else
+					 out[outpos] = '?';
+				 outpos++;
+				 inpos+=2;
+			 }
+			 else if (in[inpos]<0xF0) {
+				 // Shouldn't happen.
+				 if ((len!=-1 && inpos+2 >= len) ||
+					   (in[inpos+1]&0xC0)!= 0x80 ||
+					   (in[inpos+2]&0xC0)!= 0x80) {
+				   out[outpos++] = '?';
+				   inpos++;
+				   continue;
+				 }
+				 out[outpos++] = '?';
+				 inpos+=3;
+			 }
+			 else if (in[inpos]<0xF8) {
+				 // Shouldn't happen.
+				 if ((len!=-1 && inpos+3 >= len) ||
+						 (in[inpos+1]&0xC0)!= 0x80 ||
+						 (in[inpos+2]&0xC0)!= 0x80 ||
+						 (in[inpos+3]&0xC0)!= 0x80) {
+					 out[outpos++] = '?';
+					 inpos++;
+					 continue;
+				 }
+				 out[outpos++] = '?';
+				 inpos+=4;
+			 }
+			 else {
+			   out[outpos++] = '?';
+			   inpos++;
+			 }
+		}
+		return out;
+    }
+
     char* String::ConvertToUTF8(const char* s)
     {
         if (NULL != s && *s != '\0')