diff --git a/drivers/char/vt.c b/drivers/char/vt.c
index e458b08139af..fa1ffbf2c621 100644
--- a/drivers/char/vt.c
+++ b/drivers/char/vt.c
@@ -2742,6 +2742,10 @@ static int con_open(struct tty_struct *tty, struct file *filp)
 				tty->winsize.ws_row = vc_cons[currcons].d->vc_rows;
 				tty->winsize.ws_col = vc_cons[currcons].d->vc_cols;
 			}
+			if (vc->vc_utf)
+				tty->termios->c_iflag |= IUTF8;
+			else
+				tty->termios->c_iflag &= ~IUTF8;
 			release_console_sem();
 			vcs_make_sysfs(tty);
 			return ret;
@@ -2918,6 +2922,8 @@ int __init vty_init(void)
 	console_driver->minor_start = 1;
 	console_driver->type = TTY_DRIVER_TYPE_CONSOLE;
 	console_driver->init_termios = tty_std_termios;
+	if (default_utf8)
+		console_driver->init_termios.c_iflag |= IUTF8;
 	console_driver->flags = TTY_DRIVER_REAL_RAW | TTY_DRIVER_RESET_TERMIOS;
 	tty_set_operations(console_driver, &con_ops);
 	if (tty_register_driver(console_driver))