diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 7552cab..0a942fc 100755
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -114,3 +114,5 @@ You can run `$INSTALL_DIR/bin/native-platform` to run the test application.
 * Improve error message when unsupported capability is used.
 * Initial release.
 * Use fully decomposed form for unicode file names on hfs+ filesystems.
+* Handle string encoding for file system details
+* Handle string encoding for system info
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/generic.cpp b/src/main/cpp/generic.cpp
index 9d2882e..ea18805 100755
--- a/src/main/cpp/generic.cpp
+++ b/src/main/cpp/generic.cpp
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ void mark_failed_with_code(JNIEnv *env, const char* message, int error_code, job
 
 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL
 Java_net_rubygrapefruit_platform_internal_jni_NativeLibraryFunctions_getVersion(JNIEnv *env, jclass target) {
-    return 5;
+    return 6;
 }
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/posix.cpp b/src/main/cpp/posix.cpp
index 5da2a68..72deb3a 100755
--- a/src/main/cpp/posix.cpp
+++ b/src/main/cpp/posix.cpp
@@ -56,21 +56,21 @@ Java_net_rubygrapefruit_platform_internal_jni_NativeLibraryFunctions_getSystemIn
  */
 
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
-Java_net_rubygrapefruit_platform_internal_jni_PosixFileFunctions_chmod(JNIEnv *env, jclass target, jstring path, jint mode, jobject result) {
-    const char* pathUtf8 = env->GetStringUTFChars(path, NULL);
-    int retval = chmod(pathUtf8, mode);
-    env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(path, pathUtf8);
+Java_net_rubygrapefruit_platform_internal_jni_PosixFileFunctions_chmod(JNIEnv *env, jclass target, jbyteArray path, jint mode, jobject result) {
+    jbyte* pathUtf8 = env->GetByteArrayElements(path, NULL);
+    int retval = chmod((const char*)pathUtf8, mode);
+    env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(path, pathUtf8, JNI_ABORT);
     if (retval != 0) {
         mark_failed_with_errno(env, "could not chmod file", result);
     }
 }
 
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
-Java_net_rubygrapefruit_platform_internal_jni_PosixFileFunctions_stat(JNIEnv *env, jclass target, jstring path, jobject dest, jobject result) {
+Java_net_rubygrapefruit_platform_internal_jni_PosixFileFunctions_stat(JNIEnv *env, jclass target, jbyteArray path, jobject dest, jobject result) {
     struct stat fileInfo;
-    const char* pathUtf8 = env->GetStringUTFChars(path, NULL);
-    int retval = stat(pathUtf8, &fileInfo);
-    env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(path, pathUtf8);
+    jbyte* pathUtf8 = env->GetByteArrayElements(path, NULL);
+    int retval = stat((const char*)pathUtf8, &fileInfo);
+    env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(path, pathUtf8, JNI_ABORT);
     if (retval != 0) {
         mark_failed_with_errno(env, "could not stat file", result);
         return;
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/DefaultPosixFile.java b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/DefaultPosixFile.java
index 7c0e806..3582924 100755
--- a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/DefaultPosixFile.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/DefaultPosixFile.java
@@ -1,29 +1,57 @@
-package net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal;
-
-import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.NativeException;
-import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.PosixFile;
-import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.jni.PosixFileFunctions;
-
-import java.io.File;
-
-public class DefaultPosixFile implements PosixFile {
-    @Override
-    public void setMode(File file, int perms) {
-        FunctionResult result = new FunctionResult();
-        PosixFileFunctions.chmod(file.getPath(), perms, result);
-        if (result.isFailed()) {
-            throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not set UNIX mode on %s: %s", file, result.getMessage()));
-        }
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public int getMode(File file) {
-        FunctionResult result = new FunctionResult();
-        FileStat stat = new FileStat();
-        PosixFileFunctions.stat(file.getPath(), stat, result);
-        if (result.isFailed()) {
-            throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not get UNIX mode on %s: %s", file, result.getMessage()));
-        }
-        return stat.mode;
-    }
-}
+package net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal;
+
+import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.NativeException;
+import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.PosixFile;
+import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.jni.NativeLibraryFunctions;
+import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.jni.PosixFileFunctions;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
+
+public class DefaultPosixFile implements PosixFile {
+    private final String characterEncoding;
+
+    public DefaultPosixFile() {
+        MutableSystemInfo systemInfo = new MutableSystemInfo();
+        FunctionResult result = new FunctionResult();
+        NativeLibraryFunctions.getSystemInfo(systemInfo, result);
+        if (result.isFailed()) {
+            throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not fetch system information: %s",
+                    result.getMessage()));
+        }
+        this.characterEncoding = systemInfo.characterEncoding;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void setMode(File file, int perms) {
+        FunctionResult result = new FunctionResult();
+        PosixFileFunctions.chmod(encode(file), perms, result);
+        if (result.isFailed()) {
+            throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not set UNIX mode on %s: %s", file, result.getMessage()));
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int getMode(File file) {
+        FunctionResult result = new FunctionResult();
+        FileStat stat = new FileStat();
+        PosixFileFunctions.stat(encode(file), stat, result);
+        if (result.isFailed()) {
+            throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not get UNIX mode on %s: %s", file, result.getMessage()));
+        }
+        return stat.mode;
+    }
+
+    private byte[] encode(File file) {
+        byte[] encodedName;
+        try {
+            encodedName = file.getPath().getBytes(characterEncoding);
+        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+            throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not encode path for file '%s' using encoding %s.", file.getName(), characterEncoding));
+        }
+        byte[] buffer = new byte[encodedName.length + 1];
+        System.arraycopy(encodedName, 0, buffer, 0, encodedName.length);
+        buffer[buffer.length - 1] = 0;
+        return buffer;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/Platform.java b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/Platform.java
index 0497960..33d69c8 100755
--- a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/Platform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/Platform.java
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ public abstract class Platform {
                     throw new NativeException(String.format("Could not fetch system information: %s",
                             result.getMessage()));
                 }
-                System.out.println("=> CHARACTER ENCODING: " + systemInfo.characterEncoding);
                 return type.cast(systemInfo);
             }
             return super.get(type);
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/NativeLibraryFunctions.java b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/NativeLibraryFunctions.java
index 96dd22c..bbeeb43 100755
--- a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/NativeLibraryFunctions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/NativeLibraryFunctions.java
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.FunctionResult;
 import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.MutableSystemInfo;
 
 public class NativeLibraryFunctions {
-    public static final int VERSION = 5;
+    public static final int VERSION = 6;
 
     public static native int getVersion();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/PosixFileFunctions.java b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/PosixFileFunctions.java
index 695a707..ae02e02 100755
--- a/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/PosixFileFunctions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/rubygrapefruit/platform/internal/jni/PosixFileFunctions.java
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-package net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.jni;
-
-import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.FileStat;
-import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.FunctionResult;
-
-public class PosixFileFunctions {
-    public static native void chmod(String file, int perms, FunctionResult result);
-
-    public static native void stat(String file, FileStat stat, FunctionResult result);
-}
+package net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.jni;
+
+import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.FileStat;
+import net.rubygrapefruit.platform.internal.FunctionResult;
+
+public class PosixFileFunctions {
+    public static native void chmod(byte[] file, int perms, FunctionResult result);
+
+    public static native void stat(byte[] file, FileStat stat, FunctionResult result);
+}