diff --git a/melonDS.cbp b/melonDS.cbp
index d0485d6b..7e83b989 100644
--- a/melonDS.cbp
+++ b/melonDS.cbp
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@
 		<Unit filename="src/libui_sdl/libui/windows/winpublic.cpp" />
 		<Unit filename="src/libui_sdl/libui/windows/winutil.cpp" />
 		<Unit filename="src/libui_sdl/main.cpp" />
+		<Unit filename="src/melon_fopen.h" />
 		<Unit filename="src/types.h" />
 		<Unit filename="src/version.h" />
 		<Unit filename="xp.manifest" />
diff --git a/src/NDSCart.cpp b/src/NDSCart.cpp
index 3d480f39..03f536a6 100644
--- a/src/NDSCart.cpp
+++ b/src/NDSCart.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include "NDSCart.h"
 #include "ARM.h"
 
+#include "melon_fopen.h"
+
 
 namespace NDSCart_SRAM
 {
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ void LoadSave(char* path)
     strncpy(SRAMPath, path, 255);
     SRAMPath[255] = '\0';
 
-    FILE* f = fopen(path, "rb");
+    FILE* f = melon_fopen(path, "rb");
     if (f)
     {
         fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
@@ -624,7 +626,7 @@ void Write(u8 val, u32 hold)
 
     if (islast && (CurCmd == 0x02 || CurCmd == 0x0A) && (SRAMLength > 0))
     {
-        FILE* f = fopen(SRAMPath, "wb");
+        FILE* f = melon_fopen(SRAMPath, "wb");
         if (f)
         {
             fwrite(SRAM, SRAMLength, 1, f);
@@ -817,7 +819,7 @@ bool LoadROM(const char* path, bool direct)
     // TODO: streaming mode? for really big ROMs or systems with limited RAM
     // for now we're lazy
 
-    FILE* f = fopen(path, "rb");
+    FILE* f = melon_fopen(path, "rb");
     if (!f)
     {
         return false;
diff --git a/src/melon_fopen.h b/src/melon_fopen.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2541f84f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/melon_fopen.h
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/*
+    Copyright 2016-2017 StapleButter
+
+    This file is part of melonDS.
+
+    melonDS is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+    the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+    Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option)
+    any later version.
+
+    melonDS is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+    WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+    FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+    with melonDS. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
+*/
+
+#ifndef MELON_FOPEN_H
+#define MELON_FOPEN_H
+
+#ifdef __WIN32__
+
+#include <windows.h>
+
+static FILE* melon_fopen(const char* path, const char* mode)
+{
+    int len = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, path, -1, NULL, 0);
+    if (len < 1) return NULL;
+    WCHAR* fatass = new WCHAR[len];
+    int res = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, path, -1, fatass, len);
+    if (res != len) return NULL; // checkme?
+
+    // this will be more than enough
+    WCHAR fatmode[4];
+    fatmode[0] = mode[0];
+    fatmode[1] = mode[1];
+    fatmode[2] = mode[2];
+    fatmode[3] = 0;
+
+    return _wfopen(fatass, fatmode);
+}
+
+#else
+
+#define melon_fopen fopen
+
+#endif
+
+#endif // MELON_FOPEN_H