diff --git a/apis/libtui.lua b/apis/libtui.lua
index 0657997..45d0bcc 100644
--- a/apis/libtui.lua
+++ b/apis/libtui.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-local _VERSION = '0.1.1';
+local _VERSION = '0.1.2';
+local utf8 = rawget(_G, 'utf8');
 
 local NODE_TEXT = 'text';
 local NODE_BUTTON = 'button';
@@ -65,6 +66,64 @@ local function shallowCopy(value)
   return result;
 end
 
+local function utf8Len(value)
+  value = tostring(value or '');
+
+  local ok, iter, state, init = pcall(utf8.codes, value);
+  if not ok then
+    return string.len(value);
+  end
+
+  local count = 0;
+  for _ in iter, state, init do
+    count = count + 1;
+  end
+
+  return count;
+end
+
+local function utf8Sub(value, startIndex, endIndex)
+  value = tostring(value or '');
+  startIndex = math.max(1, math.floor(startIndex or 1));
+  endIndex = endIndex == nil and math.huge or math.floor(endIndex);
+
+  if endIndex < startIndex then
+    return '';
+  end
+
+  local ok, iter, state, init = pcall(utf8.codes, value);
+  if not ok then
+    return string.sub(value, startIndex, endIndex);
+  end
+
+  local byteStart;
+  local byteEnd;
+  local index = 0;
+
+  for pos, _ in iter, state, init do
+    index = index + 1;
+
+    if index == startIndex then
+      byteStart = pos;
+    end
+
+    if index == endIndex + 1 then
+      byteEnd = pos - 1;
+      break;
+    end
+  end
+
+  if not byteStart then
+    return '';
+  end
+
+  if not byteEnd then
+    byteEnd = string.len(value);
+  end
+
+  return string.sub(value, byteStart, byteEnd);
+end
+
 local function makeNode(kind, props)
   props = props or {};
   return {
@@ -116,11 +175,12 @@ local function lineText(value, width)
     return '';
   end
 
-  if string.len(value) > width then
-    return string.sub(value, 1, width);
+  local valueLength = utf8Len(value);
+  if valueLength > width then
+    return utf8Sub(value, 1, width);
   end
 
-  return value .. string.rep(' ', width - string.len(value));
+  return value .. string.rep(' ', width - valueLength);
 end
 
 local function shrinkRect(rect, amount)
@@ -171,8 +231,9 @@ local function drawBorder(rect, props)
 
   if title then
     local titleText = ' ' .. tostring(title) .. ' ';
-    if string.len(titleText) < rect.w - 1 then
-      top = '+' .. titleText .. string.rep('-', rect.w - 2 - string.len(titleText)) .. '+';
+    local titleLength = utf8Len(titleText);
+    if titleLength < rect.w - 1 then
+      top = '+' .. titleText .. string.rep('-', rect.w - 2 - titleLength) .. '+';
     end
   end
 
@@ -314,11 +375,11 @@ function naturalSize(node)
   local props = node.props or {};
 
   if node.kind == NODE_TEXT then
-    return props.width or string.len(tostring(props.text or '')), props.height or 1;
+    return props.width or utf8Len(tostring(props.text or '')), props.height or 1;
   end
 
   if node.kind == NODE_BUTTON then
-    return props.width or string.len(buttonLabel(props)), props.height or 1;
+    return props.width or utf8Len(buttonLabel(props)), props.height or 1;
   end
 
   local direction = props.direction or 'column';
diff --git a/manifest.json b/manifest.json
index dd3a40e..2046f4e 100644
--- a/manifest.json
+++ b/manifest.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "TrapOS",
-  "version": "0.5.2",
+  "version": "0.5.3",
   "branch": "next",
   "packages": [
     "trapos"
diff --git a/packages/index.json b/packages/index.json
index 10108db..d412981 100644
--- a/packages/index.json
+++ b/packages/index.json
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
     "trapos-test": "0.2.0",
     "trapos-boot": "0.2.1",
     "trapos-net": "0.2.0",
-    "trapos-ui": "0.2.0",
+    "trapos-ui": "0.2.1",
     "trapos-ai": "0.3.0",
-    "trapos": "0.5.2"
+    "trapos": "0.5.3"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/trapos-ui/ccpm.json b/packages/trapos-ui/ccpm.json
index 07c7203..1f2b258 100644
--- a/packages/trapos-ui/ccpm.json
+++ b/packages/trapos-ui/ccpm.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "trapos-ui",
-  "version": "0.2.0",
+  "version": "0.2.1",
   "description": "TrapOS terminal UI toolkit and demo",
   "dependencies": ["trapos-core"],
   "files": [
diff --git a/packages/trapos/ccpm.json b/packages/trapos/ccpm.json
index 10671ed..4505b1f 100644
--- a/packages/trapos/ccpm.json
+++ b/packages/trapos/ccpm.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "trapos",
-  "version": "0.5.2",
+  "version": "0.5.3",
   "description": "TrapOS full install meta-package",
   "dependencies": ["trapos-boot", "trapos-net", "trapos-ui", "trapos-test", "trapos-ai"],
   "files": [],
diff --git a/tests/libtui.lua b/tests/libtui.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9406d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/libtui.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+-- luacheck: globals term
+
+local createLibTest = require('/apis/libtest');
+local createTui = require('/apis/libtui');
+
+local testlib = createLibTest({ ... });
+
+local function fakeEventLoop()
+  local onStart = nil;
+  local onStop = nil;
+
+  return {
+    onStart = function(fn) onStart = fn; end,
+    onStop = function(fn) onStop = fn; end,
+    register = function() end,
+    startLoop = function()
+      if onStart then
+        onStart();
+      end
+      return true;
+    end,
+    stopLoop = function()
+      if onStop then
+        onStop();
+      end
+    end,
+    isRunningLoop = function()
+      return false;
+    end,
+  };
+end
+
+local function withFakeTerm(fn)
+  local originalTerm = term;
+  local writes = {};
+  local state = {
+    textColor = colors.white,
+    bgColor = colors.black,
+    cursorX = 1,
+    cursorY = 1,
+    cursorBlink = false,
+    width = 20,
+    height = 5,
+  };
+
+  term = {
+    setCursorBlink = function(value) state.cursorBlink = value; end,
+    setTextColor = function(value) state.textColor = value; end,
+    setBackgroundColor = function(value) state.bgColor = value; end,
+    clear = function() writes[#writes + 1] = { kind = 'clear' }; end,
+    getTextColor = function() return state.textColor; end,
+    getBackgroundColor = function() return state.bgColor; end,
+    getCursorPos = function() return state.cursorX, state.cursorY; end,
+    getCursorBlink = function() return state.cursorBlink; end,
+    setCursorPos = function(x, y)
+      state.cursorX = x;
+      state.cursorY = y;
+    end,
+    getSize = function() return state.width, state.height; end,
+    write = function(text)
+      writes[#writes + 1] = {
+        kind = 'write',
+        text = text,
+        x = state.cursorX,
+        y = state.cursorY,
+        color = state.textColor,
+        bgColor = state.bgColor,
+      };
+      state.cursorX = state.cursorX + string.len(text);
+    end,
+  };
+
+  local ok, err = pcall(fn, writes, state);
+  term = originalTerm;
+
+  if not ok then
+    error(err, 0);
+  end
+end
+
+testlib.test('text nodes pad utf8 text by characters', function()
+  withFakeTerm(function(writes)
+    local ui = createTui(fakeEventLoop());
+    ui.render(ui.Box({
+      children = {
+        ui.Box({
+          width = 3,
+          height = 1,
+          children = { ui.Text('é') },
+        }),
+      },
+    }));
+
+    local found = false;
+    for _, item in ipairs(writes) do
+      if item.kind == 'write' and item.text == 'é  ' then
+        found = true;
+        break;
+      end
+    end
+
+    testlib.assertTrue(found, 'expected padded utf8 text');
+  end);
+end);
+
+testlib.test('box borders keep utf8 titles intact', function()
+  withFakeTerm(function(writes)
+    local ui = createTui(fakeEventLoop());
+    ui.render(ui.Box({
+      children = {
+        ui.Box({
+          width = 5,
+          height = 3,
+          border = true,
+          title = 'Ç',
+          children = {},
+        }),
+      },
+    }));
+
+    local found = false;
+    for _, item in ipairs(writes) do
+      if item.kind == 'write' and item.text == '+ Ç +' then
+        found = true;
+        break;
+      end
+    end
+
+    testlib.assertTrue(found, 'expected utf8 border title');
+  end);
+end);
+
+testlib.run();