diff --git a/src/cut.c b/src/cut.c
index bb2e641f7..8f156ad78 100644
--- a/src/cut.c
+++ b/src/cut.c
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ enum operating_mode
     /* Output characters that are in the given bytes. */
     byte_mode,
 
+    /* Output characters that are in the given characters. */
+    char_mode,
+
     /* Output the given delimiter-separated fields. */
     field_mode
   };
@@ -137,6 +140,40 @@ static struct option const longopts[] =
   {NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 };
 
+
+static
+int getUTF8 (FILE* stream)
+{
+  int c, ch;
+  int n, i;
+
+  c = getc (stream);
+  if (c == EOF)
+    return c;
+  if ((c >> 5) == 6)
+    n = 1;
+  else if ((c >> 4) == 14)
+    n = 2;
+  else if ((c >> 3) == 30)
+    n = 3;
+  else
+    n = 0;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
+  {
+    ch = getc (stream);
+    if ((ch >> 6) == 2)
+      c = (c << 8) + ch;
+    else
+    {
+      ungetc (ch, stream);
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return c;
+}
+
 void
 usage (int status)
 {
@@ -280,6 +317,71 @@ cut_bytes (FILE *stream)
     }
 }
 
+
+/* Read from stream STREAM, printing to standard output any selected characters.  */
+
+static void
+cut_chars (FILE *stream)
+{
+  uintmax_t char_idx;	/* Number of bytes in the line so far. */
+  /* Whether to begin printing delimiters between ranges for the current line.
+     Set after we've begun printing data corresponding to the first range.  */
+  bool print_delimiter;
+
+  char_idx = 0;
+  print_delimiter = false;
+  current_rp = frp;
+  while (true)
+    {
+      int c;		/* Each character from the file. */
+      unsigned int ch;
+      int i;
+      char str[5];
+
+      c = getUTF8 (stream);
+      // c = getc (stream);
+
+      if (c == line_delim)
+        {
+          putchar (c);
+          char_idx = 0;
+          print_delimiter = false;
+          current_rp = frp;
+        }
+      else if (c == EOF)
+        {
+          if (char_idx > 0)
+            putchar (line_delim);
+          break;
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          ch = *(unsigned int*) &c;
+          next_item (&char_idx);
+          if (print_kth (char_idx))
+            {
+              if (output_delimiter_specified)
+                {
+                  if (print_delimiter && is_range_start_index (char_idx))
+                    {
+                      fwrite (output_delimiter_string, sizeof (char),
+                              output_delimiter_length, stdout);
+                    }
+                  print_delimiter = true;
+                }
+
+	      for (i = 3; i >= 0; i--, ch /= 256)
+		str[i] = ch % 256;
+	      str[4] = 0;
+
+	      for (i = 0; i < 4; i++)
+		if (str[i] != 0)
+                  putchar ((unsigned char) str[i]);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /* Read from stream STREAM, printing to standard output any selected fields.  */
 
 static void
@@ -430,6 +532,8 @@ cut_stream (FILE *stream)
 {
   if (operating_mode == byte_mode)
     cut_bytes (stream);
+  else if (operating_mode == char_mode)
+    cut_chars (stream);
   else
     cut_fields (stream);
 }
@@ -505,7 +609,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
       switch (optc)
         {
         case 'b':
-        case 'c':
           /* Build the byte list. */
           if (operating_mode != undefined_mode)
             FATAL_ERROR (_("only one type of list may be specified"));
@@ -513,6 +616,14 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
           spec_list_string = optarg;
           break;
 
+        case 'c':
+          /* Build the char list. */
+          if (operating_mode != undefined_mode)
+            FATAL_ERROR (_("only one type of list may be specified"));
+          operating_mode = char_mode;
+          spec_list_string = optarg;
+          break;
+
         case 'f':
           /* Build the field list. */
           if (operating_mode != undefined_mode)