diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h b/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
index a6dc08b7f3..9418170c4b 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
@@ -320,6 +320,9 @@ extern "C" {
    double            evas_object_text_inset_get        (Evas_Object *obj);
    int               evas_object_text_char_pos_get     (Evas_Object *obj, int pos, double *cx, double *cy, double *cw, double *ch);
    int               evas_object_text_char_coords_get  (Evas_Object *obj, double x, double y, double *cx, double *cy, double *cw, double *ch);
+   
+   int               evas_string_char_next_get         (const char *str, int pos, int *decoded);
+   int               evas_string_char_prev_get         (const char *str, int pos, int *decoded);
 
    void              evas_font_path_clear              (Evas *e);
    void              evas_font_path_append             (Evas *e, const char *path);
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_text.c b/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_text.c
index db26a001d3..ecfdf9c214 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_text.c
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_text.c
@@ -848,6 +848,46 @@ evas_font_cache_get(Evas *e)
    return e->engine.func->font_cache_get(e->engine.data.output);
 }
 
+/**
+ * To be documented.
+ *
+ * FIXME: To be fixed.
+ * 
+ */
+int
+evas_string_char_next_get(const char *str, int pos, int *decoded)
+{
+   int p, d;
+   
+   if (decoded) *decoded = 0;
+   if (!str) return 0;
+   if (pos < 0) return 0;
+   p = pos;
+   d = evas_common_font_utf8_get_next(str, &p);
+   if (decoded) *decoded = d;
+   return p;
+}
+
+/**
+ * To be documented.
+ *
+ * FIXME: To be fixed.
+ * 
+ */
+int
+evas_string_char_prev_get(const char *str, int pos, int *decoded)
+{
+   int p, d;
+   
+   if (decoded) *decoded = 0;
+   if (!str) return 0;
+   if (pos < 0) return 0;
+   p = pos;
+   d = evas_common_font_utf8_get_prev(str, &p);
+   if (decoded) *decoded = d;
+   return p;
+}
+
 
 
 /* all nice and private */
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/engines/common/evas_font_main.c b/legacy/evas/src/lib/engines/common/evas_font_main.c
index 5281fdf295..58eef5cdd5 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/engines/common/evas_font_main.c
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/engines/common/evas_font_main.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ evas_common_font_utf8_get_next(unsigned char *buf, int *iindex)
 	r <<= 6;
 	r |= (d3 & 0x3f);
      }
-   else 
+   else
      { 
 	/* 4 byte */
 	d2 = buf[index++];
@@ -133,15 +133,88 @@ evas_common_font_utf8_get_next(unsigned char *buf, int *iindex)
 	r <<= 6;
 	r |= (d3 & 0x3f);
 	r <<= 6;
-	r |= (d4 & 0x3f);
-	
-     }
-   if (r < 0xdfff && d > 0xd800) 
-     {
-	/* ill-formed says Table 3.1B in the */
-	/* Unicode 3.2 std */
-	return 0;      
+	r |= (d4 & 0x3f);	
      }
    *iindex = index;
    return r;
 }
+
+int
+evas_common_font_utf8_get_prev(unsigned char *buf, int *iindex)
+{
+   /* Reads UTF8 bytes from @buf, starting at *@index and returns
+    * the code point of the previous valid code point. @index is
+    * updated ready for the next call.
+    * 
+    * Returns 0 to indicate an error (e.g. invalid UTF8)
+    */   
+   int index = *iindex, r, istart = *iindex;
+   unsigned char d = buf[index++], d2, d3, d4;
+   
+   if (!d)
+     return 0;
+   if (d < 0x80) 
+     {
+	r = d;
+     }
+   else if ((d & 0xe0) == 0xc0) 
+     { 
+	/* 2 byte */
+	d2 = buf[index++];
+	if ((d2 & 0xc0) != 0x80)
+	  return 0;
+	r = d & 0x1f; /* copy lower 5 */
+	r <<= 6;
+	r |= (d2 & 0x3f); /* copy lower 6 */
+     }
+   else if ((d & 0xf0) == 0xe0) 
+     { 
+	/* 3 byte */
+	d2 = buf[index++];
+	d3 = buf[index++];
+	if ((d2 & 0xc0) != 0x80 ||
+	    (d3 & 0xc0) != 0x80)
+	  return 0;
+	r = d & 0x0f; /* copy lower 4 */
+	r <<= 6;
+	r |= (d2 & 0x3f);
+	r <<= 6;
+	r |= (d3 & 0x3f);
+     }
+   else
+     { 
+	/* 4 byte */
+	d2 = buf[index++];
+	d3 = buf[index++];
+	d4 = buf[index++];
+	if ((d2 & 0xc0) != 0x80 ||
+	    (d3 & 0xc0) != 0x80 ||
+	    (d4 & 0xc0) != 0x80)
+	  return 0;
+	r = d & 0x0f; /* copy lower 4 */
+	r <<= 6;
+	r |= (d2 & 0x3f);
+	r <<= 6;
+	r |= (d3 & 0x3f);
+	r <<= 6;
+	r |= (d4 & 0x3f);	
+     }
+   index = istart - 1;
+   d = buf[index];
+   if (!(d & 0x80))
+     *iindex = index;
+   else
+     {
+	while (index > 0)
+	  {
+	     index--;
+	     d = buf[index];
+	     if ((d & 0xc0) != 0x80)
+	       {
+		  *iindex = index;
+		  return r;
+	       }
+	  }
+     }
+   return r;
+}
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_common.h b/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_common.h
index 848fa46539..9ddb9704ae 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_common.h
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_common.h
@@ -794,7 +794,8 @@ void             evas_common_font_query_advance     (RGBA_Font *fn, const char *
 int              evas_common_font_query_char_coords (RGBA_Font *fn, const char *text, int pos, int *cx, int *cy, int *cw, int *ch);
 int              evas_common_font_query_text_at_pos (RGBA_Font *fn, const char *text, int x, int y, int *cx, int *cy, int *cw, int *ch);
 int              evas_common_font_utf8_get_next     (unsigned char *buf, int *iindex);
-    
+int              evas_common_font_utf8_get_prev     (unsigned char *buf, int *iindex);
+       
 /****/
 void         evas_common_tilebuf_init               (void);