diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index 8c035c6..71f2931 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -4497,8 +4497,9 @@ irc_get_or_make_user_buffer (struct server *s, const char *nickname)
 	// Open a new buffer for the user
 	buffer = buffer_new (s->ctx->input);
 	buffer->type = BUFFER_PM;
-	// FIXME: this probably needs to be converted to UTF-8
-	buffer->name = xstrdup_printf ("%s.%s", s->name, nickname);
+	char *nickname_utf8 = irc_to_utf8 (nickname);
+	buffer->name = xstrdup_printf ("%s.%s", s->name, nickname_utf8);
+	free (nickname_utf8);
 	buffer->server = s;
 	buffer->user = user;
 	str_map_set (&s->irc_buffer_map, user->nickname, buffer);
@@ -6645,8 +6646,9 @@ irc_handle_join (struct server *s, const struct irc_message *msg)
 
 		buffer = buffer_new (s->ctx->input);
 		buffer->type = BUFFER_CHANNEL;
-		// FIXME: this probably needs to be converted to UTF-8
-		buffer->name = xstrdup_printf ("%s.%s", s->name, channel_name);
+		char *channel_name_utf8 = irc_to_utf8 (channel_name);
+		buffer->name = xstrdup_printf ("%s.%s", s->name, channel_name_utf8);
+		free (channel_name_utf8);
 		buffer->server = s;
 		buffer->channel = channel =
 			irc_make_channel (s, xstrdup (channel_name));