diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Graphics/IInputHandler.cs b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Graphics/IInputHandler.cs
index d8703b4d1f..37ef56259b 100755
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Graphics/IInputHandler.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Graphics/IInputHandler.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		void ModifierKeys(Modifiers mods);
 		void OnKeyInput(KeyInput input);
 		void OnMouseInput(MouseInput input);
+		void OnTextInput(string text);
 	}
 
 	public enum MouseInputEvent { Down, Move, Up }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/InputHandler.cs b/OpenRA.Game/InputHandler.cs
index fc76273f2c..a16b9a1c5f 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/InputHandler.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/InputHandler.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		// ignore all input
 		public void ModifierKeys(Modifiers mods) { }
 		public void OnKeyInput(KeyInput input) { }
+		public void OnTextInput(string text) { }
 		public void OnMouseInput(MouseInput input) { }
 	}
 
@@ -38,6 +39,11 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			Sync.CheckSyncUnchanged(world, () => Ui.HandleKeyPress(input));
 		}
 
+		public void OnTextInput(string text)
+		{
+			Sync.CheckSyncUnchanged(world, () => Ui.HandleTextInput(text));
+		}
+
 		public void OnMouseInput(MouseInput input)
 		{
 			Sync.CheckSyncUnchanged(world, () => Ui.HandleInput(input));
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/TextFieldWidget.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/TextFieldWidget.cs
index b4e8bb5d5e..b9dc51cd05 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/TextFieldWidget.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/TextFieldWidget.cs
@@ -154,27 +154,24 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 				return true;
 			}
 
-			TypeChar(e);
-			return true;
-		}
-
-		public void TypeChar(KeyInput key)
-		{
-			if (key.Key == Keycode.BACKSPACE && CursorPosition > 0)
+			if (e.Key == Keycode.BACKSPACE && CursorPosition > 0)
 			{
 				CursorPosition--;
 				Text = Text.Remove(CursorPosition, 1);
 			}
 
-			else if (key.IsValidInput())
-			{
-				if (MaxLength > 0 && Text.Length >= MaxLength)
-					return;
+			return true;
+		}
 
-				Text = Text.Insert(CursorPosition, key.UnicodeChar.ToString());
+		public override bool HandleTextInput(string text)
+		{
+			if (MaxLength > 0 && Text.Length >= MaxLength)
+				return true;
 
-				CursorPosition++;
-			}
+			Text = Text.Insert(CursorPosition, text);
+			CursorPosition++;
+
+			return true;
 		}
 
 		protected int blinkCycle = 10;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/Widget.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/Widget.cs
index beb4756679..2d662087f0 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/Widget.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/Widget.cs
@@ -104,9 +104,15 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 			if (KeyboardFocusWidget != null)
 				return KeyboardFocusWidget.HandleKeyPressOuter(e);
 
-			if (Root.HandleKeyPressOuter(e))
-				return true;
-			return false;
+			return Root.HandleKeyPressOuter(e);
+		}
+
+		public static bool HandleTextInput(string text)
+		{
+			if (KeyboardFocusWidget != null)
+				return KeyboardFocusWidget.HandleTextInputOuter(text);
+
+			return Root.HandleTextInputOuter(text);
 		}
 
 		public static void ResetAll()
@@ -334,12 +340,30 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 				if (child.HandleKeyPressOuter(e))
 					return true;
 
-			// Do any widgety behavior (enter text etc)
+			// Do any widgety behavior
 			var handled = HandleKeyPress(e);
 
 			return handled;
 		}
 
+		public virtual bool HandleTextInput(string text) { return false; }
+
+		public virtual bool HandleTextInputOuter(string text)
+		{
+			if (!IsVisible())
+				return false;
+
+			// Can any of our children handle this?
+			foreach (var child in Children.OfType<Widget>().Reverse())
+				if (child.HandleTextInputOuter(text))
+					return true;
+
+			// Do any widgety behavior (enter text etc)
+			var handled = HandleTextInput(text);
+
+			return handled;
+		}
+
 		public virtual void Draw() {}
 
 		public virtual void DrawOuter()
diff --git a/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/SdlInput.cs b/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/SdlInput.cs
index 80badd2568..2e652ca31d 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/SdlInput.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon/SdlInput.cs
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Renderer.SdlCommon
 						else
 							inputHandler.OnKeyInput(keyEvent);
 
+						if (keyEvent.IsValidInput())
+							inputHandler.OnTextInput(keyEvent.UnicodeChar.ToString());
+
 						break;
 					}
 				}