diff --git a/lib/argp-fmtstream.c b/lib/argp-fmtstream.c
index 70e3eb8..2db995c 100644
--- a/lib/argp-fmtstream.c
+++ b/lib/argp-fmtstream.c
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <wchar.h>
 
 #include "argp-fmtstream.h"
 #include "argp-namefrob.h"
+#include "mbswidth.h"
 
 #ifndef ARGP_FMTSTREAM_USE_LINEWRAP
 
@@ -116,6 +118,51 @@ weak_alias (__argp_fmtstream_free, argp_fmtstream_free)
 #endif
 #endif
 
+
+/* Return the pointer to the first character that doesn't fit in l columns.  */
+static inline const ptrdiff_t
+add_width (const char *ptr, const char *end, size_t l)
+{
+  mbstate_t ps;
+  const char *ptr0 = ptr;
+
+  memset (&ps, 0, sizeof (ps));
+
+  while (ptr < end)
+    {
+      wchar_t wc;
+      size_t s, k;
+
+      s = mbrtowc (&wc, ptr, end - ptr, &ps);
+      if (s == (size_t) -1)
+        break;
+      if (s == (size_t) -2)
+        {
+          if (1 >= l)
+            break;
+          l--;
+          ptr++;
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      if (wc == '\e' && ptr + 3 < end
+          && ptr[1] == '[' && (ptr[2] == '0' || ptr[2] == '1')
+          && ptr[3] == 'm')
+        {
+          ptr += 4;
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      k = wcwidth (wc);
+
+      if (k >= l)
+        break;
+      l -= k;
+      ptr += s;
+    }
+  return ptr - ptr0;
+}
+
 /* Process FS's buffer so that line wrapping is done from POINT_OFFS to the
    end of its buffer.  This code is mostly from glibc stdio/linewrap.c.  */
 void
@@ -168,14 +215,15 @@ __argp_fmtstream_update (argp_fmtstream_t fs)
 
       if (!nl)
         {
+          size_t display_width = mbsnwidth (buf, fs->p - buf, MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL);
           /* The buffer ends in a partial line.  */
 
-          if (fs->point_col + len < fs->rmargin)
+          if (fs->point_col + display_width < fs->rmargin)
             {
               /* The remaining buffer text is a partial line and fits
                  within the maximum line width.  Advance point for the
                  characters to be written and stop scanning.  */
-              fs->point_col += len;
+              fs->point_col += display_width;
               break;
             }
           else
@@ -183,14 +231,18 @@ __argp_fmtstream_update (argp_fmtstream_t fs)
                the end of the buffer.  */
             nl = fs->p;
         }
-      else if (fs->point_col + (nl - buf) < (ssize_t) fs->rmargin)
-        {
-          /* The buffer contains a full line that fits within the maximum
-             line width.  Reset point and scan the next line.  */
-          fs->point_col = 0;
-          buf = nl + 1;
-          continue;
-        }
+      else
+        {
+          size_t display_width = mbsnwidth (buf, nl - buf, MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL);
+          if (display_width < (ssize_t) fs->rmargin)
+            {
+              /* The buffer contains a full line that fits within the maximum
+                 line width.  Reset point and scan the next line.  */
+              fs->point_col = 0;
+              buf = nl + 1;
+              continue;
+            }
+        }
 
       /* This line is too long.  */
       r = fs->rmargin - 1;
@@ -226,7 +278,7 @@ __argp_fmtstream_update (argp_fmtstream_t fs)
           char *p, *nextline;
           int i;
 
-          p = buf + (r + 1 - fs->point_col);
+          p = buf + add_width (buf, fs->p, (r + 1 - fs->point_col));
           while (p >= buf && !isblank ((unsigned char) *p))
             --p;
           nextline = p + 1;     /* This will begin the next line.  */
@@ -244,7 +296,7 @@ __argp_fmtstream_update (argp_fmtstream_t fs)
             {
               /* A single word that is greater than the maximum line width.
                  Oh well.  Put it on an overlong line by itself.  */
-              p = buf + (r + 1 - fs->point_col);
+              p = buf + add_width (buf, fs->p, (r + 1 - fs->point_col));
               /* Find the end of the long word.  */
               if (p < nl)
                 do
@@ -278,7 +330,8 @@ __argp_fmtstream_update (argp_fmtstream_t fs)
               && fs->p > nextline)
             {
               /* The margin needs more blanks than we removed.  */
-              if (fs->end - fs->p > fs->wmargin + 1)
+              if (mbsnwidth (fs->p, fs->end - fs->p, MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL)
+                  > fs->wmargin + 1)
                 /* Make some space for them.  */
                 {
                   size_t mv = fs->p - nextline;
diff --git a/lib/argp-help.c b/lib/argp-help.c
index a126acb..2bfd6a3 100644
--- a/lib/argp-help.c
+++ b/lib/argp-help.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include "argp.h"
 #include "argp-fmtstream.h"
 #include "argp-namefrob.h"
+#include "mbswidth.h"
 
 #ifndef SIZE_MAX
 # define SIZE_MAX ((size_t) -1)
@@ -1451,7 +1452,7 @@ argp_args_usage (const struct argp *argp, const struct argp_state *state,
 
       /* Manually do line wrapping so that it (probably) won't get wrapped at
          any embedded spaces.  */
-      space (stream, 1 + nl - cp);
+      space (stream, 1 + mbsnwidth (cp, nl - cp, MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL));
 
       __argp_fmtstream_write (stream, cp, nl - cp);
     }
diff --git a/lib/mbswidth.c b/lib/mbswidth.c
index d81b5c8..aa6be62 100644
--- a/lib/mbswidth.c
+++ b/lib/mbswidth.c
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ mbsnwidth (const char *string, size_t nbytes, int flags)
               p++;
               width++;
               break;
+              case '\0':
+              if (flags & MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL)
+                return width;
             default:
               /* If we have a multibyte sequence, scan it up to its end.  */
               {
@@ -168,6 +171,9 @@ mbsnwidth (const char *string, size_t nbytes, int flags)
     {
       unsigned char c = (unsigned char) *p++;
 
+      if (c == 0 && (flags & MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL))
+        return width;
+
       if (isprint (c))
         {
           if (width == INT_MAX)
diff --git a/lib/mbswidth.h b/lib/mbswidth.h
index 690a5a7..1a5fe44 100644
--- a/lib/mbswidth.h
+++ b/lib/mbswidth.h
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ extern "C" {
    control characters and 1 otherwise.  */
 #define MBSW_REJECT_UNPRINTABLE 2
 
+/* If this bit is set \0 is treated as the end of string.
+   Otherwise it's treated as a normal one column width character.  */
+#define MBSW_STOP_AT_NUL 4
 
 /* Returns the number of screen columns needed for STRING.  */
 #define mbswidth gnu_mbswidth  /* avoid clash with UnixWare 7.1.1 function */
diff --git a/modules/argp b/modules/argp
index 8d49681..7dce95a 100644
--- a/modules/argp
+++ b/modules/argp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ stdalign
 strerror
 memchr
 memmove
+mbswidth
 
 configure.ac:
 gl_ARGP
diff --git a/modules/argp-tests b/modules/argp-tests
index 8f92a4d..0463927 100644
--- a/modules/argp-tests
+++ b/modules/argp-tests
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 Files:
 tests/test-argp.c
 tests/test-argp-2.sh
+tests/test-argp-2-utf.sh
 
 Depends-on:
 progname
 
 Makefile.am:
 TESTS += test-argp test-argp-2.sh
-check_PROGRAMS += test-argp
+TESTS += test-argp test-argp-2.sh test-argp-2-utf.sh
+check_PROGRAMS += test-argp test-argp-utf8
 test_argp_LDADD = $(LDADD) @LIBINTL@
diff --git a/tests/test-argp-2-utf.sh b/tests/test-argp-2-utf.sh
index 935cce5..409a92a 100755
--- a/tests/test-argp-2-utf.sh
+++ b/tests/test-argp-2-utf.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,19 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
 
+# Test whether a specific UTF-8 locale is installed.
+: ${LOCALE_FR_UTF8=fr_FR.UTF-8}
+if test $LOCALE_FR_UTF8 = none; then
+  if test -f /usr/bin/localedef; then
+    echo "Skipping test: no french Unicode locale is installed"
+  else
+    echo "Skipping test: no french Unicode locale is supported"
+  fi
+  exit 77
+fi
+
+export LC_ALL=$LOCALE_FR_UTF8
+
 TMP=argp.$$
 
 unset ARGP_HELP_FMT