diff --git a/src/browser/serial.js b/src/browser/serial.js
index 0f049b5b..f0371b91 100644
--- a/src/browser/serial.js
+++ b/src/browser/serial.js
@@ -234,16 +234,17 @@ export function SerialAdapterXtermJS(element, bus)
     });
     term.write("This is the serial console. Whatever you type or paste here will be sent to COM1");
 
-    const on_data_disposable = term["onData"](function(data) {
-        for(let i = 0; i < data.length; i++)
+    const utf8_encoder = new TextEncoder();
+    const on_data_disposable = term["onData"](function(data_str) {
+        for(const utf8_byte of utf8_encoder.encode(data_str))
         {
-            bus.send("serial0-input", data.charCodeAt(i));
+            bus.send("serial0-input", utf8_byte);
         }
     });
 
-    bus.register("serial0-output-byte", function(byte)
+    bus.register("serial0-output-byte", function(utf8_byte)
     {
-        term.write(Uint8Array.of(byte));
+        term.write(Uint8Array.of(utf8_byte));
     }, this);
 
     this.destroy = function() {
diff --git a/src/browser/starter.js b/src/browser/starter.js
index 8aec8fad..87b66859 100644
--- a/src/browser/starter.js
+++ b/src/browser/starter.js
@@ -289,16 +289,15 @@ V86.prototype.continue_init = async function(emulator, options)
     settings.screen = this.screen_adapter;
     settings.screen_options = screen_options;
 
-    if(options.serial_container)
-    {
-        this.serial_adapter = new SerialAdapter(options.serial_container, this.bus);
-        //this.recording_adapter = new SerialRecordingAdapter(this.bus);
-    }
-
     if(options.serial_container_xtermjs)
     {
         this.serial_adapter = new SerialAdapterXtermJS(options.serial_container_xtermjs, this.bus);
     }
+    else if(options.serial_container)
+    {
+        this.serial_adapter = new SerialAdapter(options.serial_container, this.bus);
+        //this.recording_adapter = new SerialRecordingAdapter(this.bus);
+    }
 
     if(!options.disable_speaker)
     {