diff --git a/Iceberg-Libgit/IceGitIndex.class.st b/Iceberg-Libgit/IceGitIndex.class.st
index 37c3062d1e..b29dfd8dec 100644
--- a/Iceberg-Libgit/IceGitIndex.class.st
+++ b/Iceberg-Libgit/IceGitIndex.class.st
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ IceGitIndex >> commitWithMessage: message andParents: parentCommits [
 		index free.
 		commitId := (LGitCommitBuilder of: self repositoryHandle)
 			tree: (LGitTree of: self repositoryHandle fromId: indexTreeId);
-			message: message withUnixLineEndings utf8Encoded asString "FFI is expecting an string";
+			message: message withUnixLineEndings "FFI is expecting an string";
 			parents:
 				(self repositoryHandle isUnborn
 					ifTrue: [ #() ]
diff --git a/Iceberg-Tests/IceGitCommitMessageTest.class.st b/Iceberg-Tests/IceGitCommitMessageTest.class.st
index d0f214eba7..a8a39dd12b 100644
--- a/Iceberg-Tests/IceGitCommitMessageTest.class.st
+++ b/Iceberg-Tests/IceGitCommitMessageTest.class.st
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ IceGitCommitMessageTest >> testCommitNullString [
 
 ]
 
+{ #category : #tests }
+IceGitCommitMessageTest >> testCommitWideString [
+	| msg |
+	msg := ZnUTF8Encoder new decodeBytes: (ByteArray readHexFrom: 'e38182e38184e38186'). "Japanese vowels a,i, and u - 'あいう'"
+	self repository commitWithMessage: msg.
+	self assert: self repository head commit comment equals: msg.
+
+]
+
 { #category : #tests }
 IceGitCommitMessageTest >> testCommitWithEndingPesosSign [
 	"We used to have a problem that in some messages (depending of padding) the $ was added at the end"