diff --git a/common/tool/tool_manager.cpp b/common/tool/tool_manager.cpp
index dff210da67..128d0588b7 100644
--- a/common/tool/tool_manager.cpp
+++ b/common/tool/tool_manager.cpp
@@ -971,11 +971,13 @@ void TOOL_MANAGER::ScheduleContextMenu( TOOL_BASE* aTool, ACTION_MENU* aMenu,
 }
 
 
-bool TOOL_MANAGER::SaveClipboard( const std::string& aText )
+bool TOOL_MANAGER::SaveClipboard( const std::string& aTextUTF8 )
 {
     if( wxTheClipboard->Open() )
     {
-        wxTheClipboard->SetData( new wxTextDataObject( wxString( aText.c_str(), wxConvUTF8 ) ) );
+        // Store the UTF8 string as unicode string in clipboard:
+        wxTheClipboard->SetData( new wxTextDataObject( wxString( aTextUTF8.c_str(),
+                                                       wxConvUTF8 ) ) );
         wxTheClipboard->Close();
 
         return true;
@@ -985,7 +987,7 @@ bool TOOL_MANAGER::SaveClipboard( const std::string& aText )
 }
 
 
-std::string TOOL_MANAGER::GetClipboard() const
+std::string TOOL_MANAGER::GetClipboardUTF8() const
 {
     std::string result;
 
@@ -997,7 +999,9 @@ std::string TOOL_MANAGER::GetClipboard() const
             wxTextDataObject data;
             wxTheClipboard->GetData( data );
 
-            result = data.GetText().mb_str();
+            // The clipboard is expected containing a unicode string, so return it
+            // as UTF8 string
+            result = data.GetText().utf8_str();
         }
 
         wxTheClipboard->Close();
diff --git a/eeschema/tools/lib_edit_tool.cpp b/eeschema/tools/lib_edit_tool.cpp
index e3922ab416..43115772f0 100644
--- a/eeschema/tools/lib_edit_tool.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/tools/lib_edit_tool.cpp
@@ -668,8 +668,8 @@ int LIB_EDIT_TOOL::Paste( const TOOL_EVENT& aEvent )
     if( !part || part->IsAlias() )
         return 0;
 
-    std::string         text = m_toolMgr->GetClipboard();
-    STRING_LINE_READER  reader( text, "Clipboard" );
+    std::string         text_utf8 = m_toolMgr->GetClipboardUTF8();
+    STRING_LINE_READER  reader( text_utf8, "Clipboard" );
     LIB_PART*           newPart;
 
     try
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ int LIB_EDIT_TOOL::Paste( const TOOL_EVENT& aEvent )
         // If it's not a part then paste as text
         newPart = new LIB_PART( "dummy_part" );
         LIB_TEXT* newText = new LIB_TEXT( newPart );
-        newText->SetText( text );
+        newText->SetText( wxString::FromUTF8( text_utf8 ) );
         newPart->AddDrawItem( newText );
     }
 
diff --git a/eeschema/tools/sch_editor_control.cpp b/eeschema/tools/sch_editor_control.cpp
index 5363608a0d..decabd88e8 100644
--- a/eeschema/tools/sch_editor_control.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/tools/sch_editor_control.cpp
@@ -1353,7 +1353,7 @@ int SCH_EDITOR_CONTROL::Paste( const TOOL_EVENT& aEvent )
     }
 
     EE_SELECTION_TOOL* selTool = m_toolMgr->GetTool<EE_SELECTION_TOOL>();
-    std::string        text = m_toolMgr->GetClipboard();
+    std::string        text = m_toolMgr->GetClipboardUTF8();
 
     if( text.empty() )
         return 0;
diff --git a/include/tool/tool_manager.h b/include/tool/tool_manager.h
index a6d552980e..b321ed642e 100644
--- a/include/tool/tool_manager.h
+++ b/include/tool/tool_manager.h
@@ -381,16 +381,19 @@ public:
 
     /**
      * Stores an information to the system clipboard.
-     * @param aText is the information to be stored.
+     * @param aText is the information to be stored, expected UTF8 encoding.
+     * the text will be stored as Unicode string (not stored as UTF8 string)
      * @return False if error occurred.
      */
-    bool SaveClipboard( const std::string& aText );
+    bool SaveClipboard( const std::string& aTextUTF8 );
 
     /**
      * Returns the information currently stored in the system clipboard. If data stored in the
      * clipboard is in non-text format, empty string is returned.
+     * Note also the clipboard is expected containing unicode chars, not only ASCII7 chars.
+     * The returned string is UTF8 encoded
      */
-    std::string GetClipboard() const;
+    std::string GetClipboardUTF8() const;
 
     /**
      * Returns the view controls settings for the current tool or the general settings if there is
diff --git a/pagelayout_editor/tools/pl_edit_tool.cpp b/pagelayout_editor/tools/pl_edit_tool.cpp
index ae44db0886..53a8420088 100644
--- a/pagelayout_editor/tools/pl_edit_tool.cpp
+++ b/pagelayout_editor/tools/pl_edit_tool.cpp
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ int PL_EDIT_TOOL::Paste( const TOOL_EVENT& aEvent )
 {
     PL_SELECTION&  selection = m_selectionTool->GetSelection();
     WS_DATA_MODEL& model = WS_DATA_MODEL::GetTheInstance();
-    std::string    sexpr = m_toolMgr->GetClipboard();
+    std::string    sexpr = m_toolMgr->GetClipboardUTF8();
 
     m_selectionTool->ClearSelection();