diff --git a/includes/xmlrpc.inc b/includes/xmlrpc.inc
index dc69dd9..1cbde3c 100644
--- a/includes/xmlrpc.inc
+++ b/includes/xmlrpc.inc
@@ -166,17 +166,22 @@ function xmlrpc_message($message) {
  *
  * @param $xmlrpc_message
  *   An object generated by xmlrpc_message().
+ * @param $encoding
+ *   (optional) The encoding that the returned data is in.
  *
  * @return
  *   TRUE if parsing succeeded; FALSE otherwise.
  */
-function xmlrpc_message_parse($xmlrpc_message) {
+function xmlrpc_message_parse($xmlrpc_message, $encoding = 'utf-8') {
   $xmlrpc_message->_parser = xml_parser_create();
   // Set XML parser to take the case of tags into account.
   xml_parser_set_option($xmlrpc_message->_parser, XML_OPTION_CASE_FOLDING, FALSE);
   // Set XML parser callback functions
   xml_set_element_handler($xmlrpc_message->_parser, 'xmlrpc_message_tag_open', 'xmlrpc_message_tag_close');
   xml_set_character_data_handler($xmlrpc_message->_parser, 'xmlrpc_message_cdata');
+  if ($encoding != 'utf-8') {
+    $xmlrpc_message->message = drupal_convert_to_utf8($xmlrpc_message->message, $encoding);
+  }
   xmlrpc_message_set($xmlrpc_message);
 
   // Strip XML declaration.
@@ -569,6 +574,9 @@ function xmlrpc_base64_get_xml($xmlrpc_base64) {
  *   are specified, a system.multicall is performed.
  * @param $options
  *   (optional) An array of options to pass along to drupal_http_request().
+ *   (Additionally optional)
+ *   - encoding
+ *       The encoding that the returned data is in. Only needed if not UTF-8.
  *
  * @return
  *   A single response (single request) or an array of responses (multicall
@@ -578,6 +586,11 @@ function xmlrpc_base64_get_xml($xmlrpc_base64) {
  *   information.
  */
 function _xmlrpc($url, $args, $options = array()) {
+  // Get the encoding options and remove it from the array, as it is not used
+  // by drupal_http_request().
+  $encoding = isset($options['encoding']) ? $options['encoding'] : 'UTF-8';
+  unset($options['encoding']);
+
   xmlrpc_clear_error();
   if (count($args) > 1) {
     $multicall_args = array();
@@ -603,7 +616,7 @@ function _xmlrpc($url, $args, $options = array()) {
   }
   $message = xmlrpc_message($result->data);
   // Now parse what we've got back
-  if (!xmlrpc_message_parse($message)) {
+  if (!xmlrpc_message_parse($message, $encoding)) {
     // XML error
     xmlrpc_error(-32700, t('Parse error. Not well formed'));
     return FALSE;