--- libkexiv2/kexiv2.cpp	(revision 632990)
+++ libkexiv2/kexiv2.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
 #include <ktempfile.h>
 #include <kstringhandler.h>
 #include <kdeversion.h>
+#include <kglobal.h>
+#include <kconfig.h>
+#include <kcharsets.h>
 
 // Exiv2 includes.
 
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@
 {
 public:
 
-    KExiv2Priv(){}
+    KExiv2Priv();
 
     QString         filePath;
 
@@ -77,8 +80,24 @@
     Exiv2::ExifData exifMetadata;
 
     Exiv2::IptcData iptcMetadata;
+
+    QTextCodec *iptcEncodingCodec;
 };
 
+KExiv2Priv::KExiv2Priv() 
+{
+    iptcEncodingCodec = NULL;
+    if (KGlobal::instance()) 
+    {
+        KConfig *config = KGlobal::config();
+        config->setGroup("Metadata Settings");
+        QString iptcEncoding = config->readEntry("IPTC Encoding");
+    
+        if (!iptcEncoding.isEmpty() && iptcEncoding != "ASCII") 
+          iptcEncodingCodec = KGlobal::charsets()->codecForName(KGlobal::charsets()->encodingForName(iptcEncoding));
+    }
+}
+
 KExiv2::KExiv2()
 {
     d = new KExiv2Priv;
@@ -1155,7 +1174,9 @@
         {
             std::ostringstream os;
             os << *it;
-            QString tagValue = QString::fromLocal8Bit(os.str().c_str());
+            QString tagValue;
+            if (d->iptcEncodingCodec) tagValue = d->iptcEncodingCodec->toUnicode(os.str().c_str());
+            else tagValue = QString::fromLocal8Bit(os.str().c_str());
 
             if (escapeCR)
                 tagValue.replace("\n", " ");
@@ -1179,7 +1200,8 @@
 
     try
     {
-        d->iptcMetadata[iptcTagName] = value.ascii();
+        if (d->iptcEncodingCodec) d->iptcMetadata[iptcTagName] = std::string(d->iptcEncodingCodec->fromUnicode(value));
+        else d->iptcMetadata[iptcTagName] = value.ascii();
         return true;
     }
     catch( Exiv2::Error &e )