--- gedit-2.19.92/gedit/gedit-convert.c.utf8	2007-09-11 17:14:50.000000000 +0200
+++ gedit-2.19.92/gedit/gedit-convert.c	2007-09-11 17:17:35.000000000 +0200
@@ -173,12 +173,31 @@ gedit_convert_to_utf8 (const gchar      
 		GSList *encodings;
 		GSList *start;
 		gchar *ret = NULL;
+		gboolean is_7bit_content = TRUE;
+		const gchar *cur = content;
+		gsize i;
 
 		gedit_debug_message (DEBUG_UTILS,
 				     "Automatically detect the encoding used");
 
 		encodings = gedit_prefs_manager_get_auto_detected_encodings ();
 
+		/* If the content is entirely 7-bit data, prepend the current
+		   locale encoding to auto_detect encodings so that it is tested first
+		   (e.g. before UTF-8). */
+
+		for (i = 0; i < len; i++, cur++) {
+			if (*cur & 0x80) {
+				is_7bit_content = FALSE;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (is_7bit_content) {
+			gedit_debug_message (DEBUG_UTILS,
+			                     "Content is 7-bit: assuming currrent locale charset (overriding prefs)");
+			encodings = g_slist_prepend (encodings, (gpointer)gedit_encoding_get_current ());
+		}
+
 		if (encodings == NULL)
 		{
 			gedit_debug_message (DEBUG_UTILS, "encodings == NULL");
--- gedit-2.19.92/gedit/gedit-document.c.utf8	2007-09-11 17:17:58.000000000 +0200
+++ gedit-2.19.92/gedit/gedit-document.c	2007-09-11 17:18:29.000000000 +0200
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ gedit_document_init (GeditDocument *doc)
 
 	g_get_current_time (&doc->priv->time_of_last_save_or_load);
 
-	doc->priv->encoding = gedit_encoding_get_utf8 ();
+	doc->priv->encoding = gedit_encoding_get_current ();
 
 	gtk_source_buffer_set_max_undo_levels (GTK_SOURCE_BUFFER (doc), 
 					       gedit_prefs_manager_get_undo_actions_limit ());