diff --git a/win32/wconfig.cpp b/win32/wconfig.cpp
index 610111e4..1e8979ad 100644
--- a/win32/wconfig.cpp
+++ b/win32/wconfig.cpp
@@ -293,8 +293,6 @@ static bool	try_save(const char	*fname,	ConfigFile &conf){
 	return false;
 }
 
-static char rom_filename [MAX_PATH] = {0};
-
 static bool S9xSaveConfigFile(ConfigFile &conf){
 
 	configMutex = CreateMutex(NULL, FALSE, TEXT("Snes9xConfigMutex"));
@@ -344,18 +342,30 @@ static inline char *SkipSpaces (char *p)
 	return (p);
 }
 
-const char*	WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (char *line)
+const TCHAR*	WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (TCHAR *line)
 {
 	// Break the command line up into an array of string pointers, each	pointer
 	// points at a separate	word or	character sequence enclosed	in quotes.
 
+    int count = 0;
+    static TCHAR return_filename[MAX_PATH];
+
+#ifdef UNICODE
+    // split params into argv
+	TCHAR **params = CommandLineToArgvW(line, &count);
+
+    // convert all parameters to utf8
+	char **parameters = new char*[count];
+    for(int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+        int requiredChars = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0, params[i], -1, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL);
+	    parameters[i] = new char[requiredChars];
+	    WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0, params[i], -1, parameters[i], requiredChars, NULL, NULL);
+    }
+    LocalFree(params);
+#else
 #define	MAX_PARAMETERS 100
 	char *p	= line;
-	static char	*parameters	[MAX_PARAMETERS];
-	int	count =	0;
-
-	//parameters [count++] = "Snes9X";
-
+	char *parameters[MAX_PARAMETERS];
 	while (count < MAX_PARAMETERS && *p)
 	{
 		p =	SkipSpaces (p);
@@ -387,6 +397,7 @@ const char*	WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (char *line)
 			}
 	}
 
+#endif
 	configMutex = CreateMutex(NULL, FALSE, TEXT("Snes9xConfigMutex"));
 	int times = 0;
 	DWORD waitVal = WAIT_TIMEOUT;
@@ -427,12 +438,19 @@ const char*	WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (char *line)
 	CloseHandle(configMutex);
 
 	const char* rf = S9xParseArgs (parameters, count);
-	/*if(rf)
-		strcpy(rom_filename, rf);
-	else
-		rom_filename[0] = '\0';*/
 
-	return rf;
+    if(rf) // save rom_filename as TCHAR if available
+        lstrcpy(return_filename, _tFromChar(rf));
+
+#ifdef UNICODE
+    // free parameters
+    for(int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+        delete [] parameters[i];
+    }
+    delete [] parameters;
+#endif
+
+    return rf ? return_filename : NULL;
 }
 
 #define S(x) GAMEDEVICE_VK_##x
@@ -955,7 +973,6 @@ void WinRegisterConfigItems()
 	AddBoolC("Cheat", Settings.ApplyCheats, true, "true to allow enabled cheats to be applied");
 	AddInvBoolC("Patch", Settings.NoPatch, true, "true to allow IPS/UPS patches to be applied (\"soft patching\")");
 	AddBoolC("BS", Settings.BS, false, "Broadcast Satellaview emulation");
-	AddStringC("Filename", rom_filename, MAX_PATH, "", "filename of ROM to run when Snes9x opens");
 #undef CATEGORY
 #ifdef NETPLAY_SUPPORT
 #define	CATEGORY "Netplay"
diff --git a/win32/wsnes9x.cpp b/win32/wsnes9x.cpp
index 3c3e7e6c..6ed8800d 100644
--- a/win32/wsnes9x.cpp
+++ b/win32/wsnes9x.cpp
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ bool8 S9xLoadROMImage (const TCHAR *string);
 static void EnableServer (bool8 enable);
 #endif
 void WinDeleteRecentGamesList ();
-const char* WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (char *line);
+const TCHAR* WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (TCHAR *line);
 void WinRegisterConfigItems ();
 void WinSaveConfigFile ();
 void WinSetDefaultValues ();
@@ -3330,7 +3330,6 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(
 				   LPSTR lpCmdLine,
 				   int nCmdShow)
 {
-    char cmdLine[MAX_PATH];
 	Settings.StopEmulation = TRUE;
 
 	SetCurrentDirectory(S9xGetDirectoryT(DEFAULT_DIR));
@@ -3352,8 +3351,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(
 
     ChangeInputDevice();
 
-    strcpy(cmdLine,_tToChar(GetCommandLine()));
-    const char *rom_filename = WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (cmdLine);
+    const TCHAR *rom_filename = WinParseCommandLineAndLoadConfigFile (GetCommandLine());
     WinSaveConfigFile ();
 	WinLockConfigFile ();
 
@@ -3422,7 +3420,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(
     }
 
 	if(rom_filename)
-		LoadROM(_tFromChar(rom_filename));
+		LoadROM(rom_filename);
 
 	S9xUnmapAllControls();
 	S9xSetupDefaultKeymap();