diff --git a/include/libtorrent/ConvertUTF.h b/include/libtorrent/ConvertUTF.h
index 5de653063..3e328bd82 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/ConvertUTF.h
+++ b/include/libtorrent/ConvertUTF.h
@@ -87,12 +87,21 @@
     bit mask & shift operations.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 
-#include <boost/cstdint.hpp>
+#ifdef __cplusplus
 #include "libtorrent/config.hpp"
+// these are standard C types, but they might
+// not be available in c++
+#include <boost/cstdint.hpp>
+typedef boost::uint32_t uint32_t;
+typedef boost::uint16_t uint16_t;
+typedef boost::uint8_t	uint8_t;
+#else
+#define TORRENT_EXPORT
+#endif
 
-typedef boost::uint32_t UTF32;	/* at least 32 bits */
-typedef boost::uint16_t UTF16;	/* at least 16 bits */
-typedef boost::uint8_t	UTF8;	/* typically 8 bits */
+typedef uint32_t UTF32;	/* at least 32 bits */
+typedef uint16_t UTF16;	/* at least 16 bits */
+typedef uint8_t	UTF8;	/* typically 8 bits */
 typedef unsigned char	Boolean; /* 0 or 1 */
 
 /* Some fundamental constants */
diff --git a/src/GeoIP.c b/src/GeoIP.c
index a249a3ebd..773079000 100644
--- a/src/GeoIP.c
+++ b/src/GeoIP.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 #include "libtorrent/GeoIP.h"
 
+#include "libtorrent/ConvertUTF.h"
+
 #ifndef WIN32
 #include <netdb.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
@@ -345,7 +347,16 @@ int _check_mtime(GeoIP *gi) {
 				/* refresh filehandle */
 				fclose(gi->GeoIPDatabase);
 #ifdef WIN32
-				gi->GeoIPDatabase = _wfopen(libtorrent::safe_convert(gi->file_path).c_str(),L"rb");
+				assert(sizeof(wchar_t) == 2);
+				int name_len = strlen(gi->file_path);
+				wchar_t* wfilename = malloc((name_len + 1) * sizeof(wchar_t));
+				wchar_t const* dst_start = wfilename;
+				char const* src_start = gi->file_path;
+				ret = ConvertUTF8toUTF16((const UTF8**)&src_start, (const UTF8*)src_start
+						+ name_len, (UTF16**)&dst_start, (UTF16*)dst_start + name_len + 1
+						, lenientConversion);
+				gi->GeoIPDatabase = _wfopen(wfilename,L"rb");
+				free(wfilename);
 #else
 				gi->GeoIPDatabase = fopen(gi->file_path,"rb");
 #endif
@@ -529,11 +540,6 @@ GeoIP* GeoIP_new (int flags) {
 }
 */
 
-namespace libtorrent
-{
-	std::wstring safe_convert(std::string const& s);
-}
-
 GeoIP* GeoIP_open (const char * filename, int flags) {
 	struct stat buf;
 	GeoIP * gi;
@@ -550,7 +556,16 @@ GeoIP* GeoIP_open (const char * filename, int flags) {
 	}
 	strncpy(gi->file_path, filename, len);
 #ifdef WIN32
-	gi->GeoIPDatabase = _wfopen(libtorrent::safe_convert(filename).c_str(),L"rb");
+	assert(sizeof(wchar_t) == 2);
+	int name_len = strlen(filename);
+	wchar_t* wfilename = malloc((name_len + 1) * sizeof(wchar_t));
+	wchar_t const* dst_start = wfilename;
+	char const* src_start = filename;
+	ret = ConvertUTF8toUTF16((const UTF8**)&src_start, (const UTF8*)src_start
+		+ name_len, (UTF16**)&dst_start, (UTF16*)dst_start + name_len + 1
+		, lenientConversion);
+	gi->GeoIPDatabase = _wfopen(wfilename,L"rb");
+	free(wfilename);
 #else
 	gi->GeoIPDatabase = fopen(filename,"rb");
 #endif
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index 3ca3b7067..665cb129e 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "libtorrent/kademlia/dht_tracker.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/enum_net.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/config.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/utf8.hpp"
 
 #ifndef TORRENT_WINDOWS
 #include <sys/resource.h>
@@ -347,7 +348,7 @@ namespace aux {
 		if (m_asnum_db) GeoIP_delete(m_asnum_db);
 		std::string utf8;
 		wchar_utf8(file, utf8);
-		m_asnum_db = GeoIP_open(utf8, GEOIP_STANDARD);
+		m_asnum_db = GeoIP_open(utf8.c_str(), GEOIP_STANDARD);
 		return m_asnum_db;
 	}
 
@@ -365,7 +366,7 @@ namespace aux {
 		if (m_country_db) GeoIP_delete(m_country_db);
 		std::string utf8;
 		wchar_utf8(file, utf8);
-		m_country_db = GeoIP_open(utf8, GEOIP_STANDARD);
+		m_country_db = GeoIP_open(utf8.c_str(), GEOIP_STANDARD);
 		return m_country_db;
 	}