diff --git a/Command/Uninit.hs b/Command/Uninit.hs
index ec6d0abf39..878547bc36 100644
--- a/Command/Uninit.hs
+++ b/Command/Uninit.hs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 module Command.Uninit where
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as B
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
 
 import Common.Annex
 import Command
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ check = do
 	when (b == Annex.Branch.name) $ error $
 		"cannot uninit when the " ++ show b ++ " branch is checked out"
 	where
-		current_branch = Git.Ref . Prelude.head . lines . B.unpack <$> revhead
+		current_branch = Git.Ref . Prelude.head . lines . L.unpack <$> revhead
 		revhead = inRepo $ Git.Command.pipeRead 
 			[Params "rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD"]
 
diff --git a/Command/Unused.hs b/Command/Unused.hs
index ffd4bef455..67f743ab08 100644
--- a/Command/Unused.hs
+++ b/Command/Unused.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 module Command.Unused where
 
 import qualified Data.Set as S
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.Encoding as L
 
 import Common.Annex
 import Command
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ getKeysReferencedInGit ref = do
 		findkeys c [] = return c
 		findkeys c (l:ls)
 			| isSymLink (LsTree.mode l) = do
-				content <- catFile ref $ LsTree.file l
+				content <- L.decodeUtf8 <$> catFile ref (LsTree.file l)
 				case fileKey (takeFileName $ L.unpack content) of
 					Nothing -> findkeys c ls
 					Just k -> findkeys (k:c) ls
diff --git a/Git/Branch.hs b/Git/Branch.hs
index 98811a9876..546d4a96b3 100644
--- a/Git/Branch.hs
+++ b/Git/Branch.hs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 module Git.Branch where
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
 
 import Common
 import Git
diff --git a/Git/Command.hs b/Git/Command.hs
index ec701c1f09..1650efe13c 100644
--- a/Git/Command.hs
+++ b/Git/Command.hs
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@
 
 module Git.Command where
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.Encoding as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.IO as L
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as B
 
 import Common
 import Git
@@ -38,28 +41,27 @@ run subcommand params repo = assertLocal repo $
  - Note that this leaves the git process running, and so zombies will
  - result unless reap is called.
  -}
-pipeRead :: [CommandParam] -> Repo -> IO L.ByteString
+pipeRead :: [CommandParam] -> Repo -> IO L.Text
 pipeRead params repo = assertLocal repo $ do
 	(_, h) <- hPipeFrom "git" $ toCommand $ gitCommandLine params repo
-	hSetBinaryMode h True
-	L.hGetContents h
+	L.decodeUtf8 <$> B.hGetContents h
 
 {- Runs a git subcommand, feeding it input.
  - You should call either getProcessStatus or forceSuccess on the PipeHandle. -}
-pipeWrite :: [CommandParam] -> L.ByteString -> Repo -> IO PipeHandle
+pipeWrite :: [CommandParam] -> L.Text -> Repo -> IO PipeHandle
 pipeWrite params s repo = assertLocal repo $ do
 	(p, h) <- hPipeTo "git" (toCommand $ gitCommandLine params repo)
-	L.hPut h s
+	L.hPutStr h s
 	hClose h
 	return p
 
 {- Runs a git subcommand, feeding it input, and returning its output.
  - You should call either getProcessStatus or forceSuccess on the PipeHandle. -}
-pipeWriteRead :: [CommandParam] -> L.ByteString -> Repo -> IO (PipeHandle, L.ByteString)
+pipeWriteRead :: [CommandParam] -> L.Text -> Repo -> IO (PipeHandle, L.Text)
 pipeWriteRead params s repo = assertLocal repo $ do
 	(p, from, to) <- hPipeBoth "git" (toCommand $ gitCommandLine params repo)
 	hSetBinaryMode from True
-	L.hPut to s
+	L.hPutStr to s
 	hClose to
 	c <- L.hGetContents from
 	return (p, c)
@@ -67,12 +69,14 @@ pipeWriteRead params s repo = assertLocal repo $ do
 {- Reads null terminated output of a git command (as enabled by the -z 
  - parameter), and splits it. -}
 pipeNullSplit :: [CommandParam] -> Repo -> IO [String]
-pipeNullSplit params repo = map L.unpack <$> pipeNullSplitB params repo
+pipeNullSplit params repo = map L.unpack <$> pipeNullSplitT params repo
 
 {- For when Strings are not needed. -}
-pipeNullSplitB ::[CommandParam] -> Repo -> IO [L.ByteString]
-pipeNullSplitB params repo = filter (not . L.null) . L.split '\0' <$>
+pipeNullSplitT ::[CommandParam] -> Repo -> IO [L.Text]
+pipeNullSplitT params repo = filter (not . L.null) . L.splitOn sep <$>
 	pipeRead params repo
+	where
+		sep = L.pack "\0"
 
 {- Reaps any zombie git processes. -}
 reap :: IO ()
diff --git a/Git/LsTree.hs b/Git/LsTree.hs
index aae7f1263b..5c1541819a 100644
--- a/Git/LsTree.hs
+++ b/Git/LsTree.hs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module Git.LsTree (
 import Numeric
 import Control.Applicative
 import System.Posix.Types
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
 
 import Common
 import Git
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ data TreeItem = TreeItem
 {- Lists the contents of a Ref -}
 lsTree :: Ref -> Repo -> IO [TreeItem]
 lsTree t repo = map parseLsTree <$>
-	pipeNullSplitB [Params "ls-tree --full-tree -z -r --", File $ show t] repo
+	pipeNullSplitT [Params "ls-tree --full-tree -z -r --", File $ show t] repo
 
 {- Parses a line of ls-tree output.
  - (The --long format is not currently supported.) -}
-parseLsTree :: L.ByteString -> TreeItem
+parseLsTree :: L.Text -> TreeItem
 parseLsTree l = TreeItem 
 	{ mode = fst $ Prelude.head $ readOct $ L.unpack m
 	, typeobj = L.unpack t
diff --git a/Git/Queue.hs b/Git/Queue.hs
index 25c5b073c7..63c3adee7c 100644
--- a/Git/Queue.hs
+++ b/Git/Queue.hs
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ import qualified Data.Map as M
 import System.IO
 import System.Cmd.Utils
 import Data.String.Utils
-import Utility.SafeCommand
+import Codec.Binary.UTF8.String
 
+import Utility.SafeCommand
 import Common
 import Git
 import Git.Command
@@ -90,4 +91,4 @@ runAction repo action files =
 	where
 		params = toCommand $ gitCommandLine
 			(Param (getSubcommand action):getParams action) repo
-		feedxargs h = hPutStr h $ join "\0" files
+		feedxargs h = hPutStr h $ join "\0" $ map encodeString files
diff --git a/Git/Ref.hs b/Git/Ref.hs
index 557d24a372..81560b0157 100644
--- a/Git/Ref.hs
+++ b/Git/Ref.hs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 module Git.Ref where
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
 
 import Common
 import Git
diff --git a/Git/UnionMerge.hs b/Git/UnionMerge.hs
index 4b335e47b1..19db328609 100644
--- a/Git/UnionMerge.hs
+++ b/Git/UnionMerge.hs
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ module Git.UnionMerge (
 ) where
 
 import System.Cmd.Utils
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as L
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.Encoding as L
 import qualified Data.Set as S
 
 import Common
@@ -110,11 +111,11 @@ mergeFile info file h repo = case filter (/= nullSha) [Ref asha, Ref bsha] of
 		calcMerge . zip shas <$> mapM getcontents shas
 	where
 		[_colonmode, _bmode, asha, bsha, _status] = words info
-		getcontents s = L.lines <$> catObject h s
+		getcontents s = L.lines . L.decodeUtf8 <$> catObject h s
 		use sha = return $ Just $ update_index_line sha file
 
 {- Injects some content into git, returning its Sha. -}
-hashObject :: Repo -> L.ByteString -> IO Sha
+hashObject :: Repo -> L.Text -> IO Sha
 hashObject repo content = getSha subcmd $ do
 	(h, s) <- pipeWriteRead (map Param params) content repo
 	L.length s `seq` do
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ hashObject repo content = getSha subcmd $ do
  - When possible, reuses the content of an existing ref, rather than
  - generating new content.
  -}
-calcMerge :: [(Ref, [L.ByteString])] -> Either Ref [L.ByteString]
+calcMerge :: [(Ref, [L.Text])] -> Either Ref [L.Text]
 calcMerge shacontents
 	| null reuseable = Right $ new
 	| otherwise = Left $ fst $ Prelude.head reuseable
diff --git a/Messages.hs b/Messages.hs
index 1294e44f69..844c6bfc51 100644
--- a/Messages.hs
+++ b/Messages.hs
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ showRaw s = handle q $ putStrLn s
  -
  - NB: Once git-annex gets localized, this will need a rethink. -}
 setupConsole :: IO ()
-setupConsole = do
-	hSetBinaryMode stdout True
-	hSetBinaryMode stderr True
+setupConsole = return ()
+	--hSetBinaryMode stdout True
+	--hSetBinaryMode stderr True
 
 handle :: IO () -> IO () -> Annex ()
 handle json normal = Annex.getState Annex.output >>= go