diff --git a/gclc-socket/pom.xml b/gclc-socket/pom.xml
index 136d246..9c41a10 100644
--- a/gclc-socket/pom.xml
+++ b/gclc-socket/pom.xml
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ of Emmanuel Bigeon.                                                   -->
   <parent>
   	<groupId>fr.bigeon</groupId>
   	<artifactId>ebigeon-config</artifactId>
-  	<version>1.7.0</version>
+  	<version>1.7.1</version>
   </parent>
   <name>GCLC Socket</name>
   <description>Socket implementation of GCLC</description>
diff --git a/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/SocketConsoleApplicationShell.java b/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/SocketConsoleApplicationShell.java
index 2981948..5bd2577 100644
--- a/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/SocketConsoleApplicationShell.java
+++ b/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/SocketConsoleApplicationShell.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.net.ServerSocket;
 import java.net.Socket;
 import java.net.SocketException;
+import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -108,19 +109,23 @@ public class SocketConsoleApplicationShell implements Runnable {
     private ServerSocket serverSocket;
     /** The application shutdown string */
     private final String applicationShutdown;
+    /** The charset for the communication. */
+    private Charset charset;
 
     /** Create a socket application shell which will listen on the given port
      * and close session upon the provided string reception by client
      *
      * @param port the port to listen to
      * @param close the session closing command
-     * @param applicationShutdown the appication shut down command */
+     * @param applicationShutdown the appication shut down command
+     * @param charset the charset for communication */
     public SocketConsoleApplicationShell(int port, String close,
-            String applicationShutdown) {
+            String applicationShutdown, Charset charset) {
         this.port = port;
         this.close = close;
         this.applicationShutdown = applicationShutdown;
         this.autoClose = false;
+        this.charset = charset;
     }
 
     /** Create a socket application shell which will listen on the given port
@@ -129,13 +134,15 @@ public class SocketConsoleApplicationShell implements Runnable {
      * @param port the port to listen to
      * @param autoClose if the session must be closed once the request has been
      *            sent
-     * @param applicationShutdown the application shutdown command */
+     * @param applicationShutdown the appication shut down command
+     * @param charset the charset for communication */
     public SocketConsoleApplicationShell(int port, boolean autoClose,
-            String applicationShutdown) {
+            String applicationShutdown, Charset charset) {
         this.port = port;
         this.autoClose = autoClose;
         this.applicationShutdown = applicationShutdown;
         this.close = autoClose ? null : "close"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+        this.charset = charset;
     }
 
     /* (non-Javadoc)
@@ -149,8 +156,10 @@ public class SocketConsoleApplicationShell implements Runnable {
             // Create the streams
             try (PipedOutputStream outStream = new PipedOutputStream();
                  BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(
-                         new OutputStreamWriter(outStream));
-                 InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(consoleInput);
+                         new OutputStreamWriter(outStream,
+                                     charset));
+                 InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(consoleInput,
+                         charset);
                  BufferedReader inBuf = new BufferedReader(isr)) {
                 consoleInput.connect(outStream);
                 consoleManager.setInput(inBuf);
@@ -180,9 +189,12 @@ public class SocketConsoleApplicationShell implements Runnable {
         while (running) {
             try (Socket clientSocket = serverSocket.accept();
                  PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(
-                         clientSocket.getOutputStream(), true);
+                         new OutputStreamWriter(clientSocket.getOutputStream(),
+                                 charset),
+                         true);
                  InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(
-                         clientSocket.getInputStream());
+                         clientSocket.getInputStream(),
+                         charset);
                  BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(isr);) {
                 // this is not threaded to avoid several clients at the same
                 // time
diff --git a/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/ThreadedServerConsoleManager.java b/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/ThreadedServerConsoleManager.java
index aa9dcef..7b0484c 100644
--- a/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/ThreadedServerConsoleManager.java
+++ b/gclc-socket/src/main/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/ThreadedServerConsoleManager.java
@@ -57,8 +57,10 @@ public class ThreadedServerConsoleManager implements ConsoleManager {
     /** The class logger */
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger
             .getLogger(ThreadedServerConsoleManager.class.getName());
+    /** The empty string constant */
+    private static final String EMPTY = ""; //$NON-NLS-1$
     /** The prompting sequence */
-    private String prompt = new String();
+    private String prompt = EMPTY;
     /** The buffer of data to send to the user */
     private StringBuilder buffer = new StringBuilder();
     /** The synchronized object */
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ public class ThreadedServerConsoleManager implements ConsoleManager {
     @Override
     public String prompt(String message) {
         buffer.append(message);
-        String userInput = new String();
+        String userInput = EMPTY;
         boolean prompting = true;
         while (prompting) {
             // Send buffer content
diff --git a/gclc-socket/src/test/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/TestServer.java b/gclc-socket/src/test/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/TestServer.java
index 82cca37..465767c 100644
--- a/gclc-socket/src/test/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/TestServer.java
+++ b/gclc-socket/src/test/java/fr/bigeon/gclc/socket/TestServer.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
  */
 package fr.bigeon.gclc.socket;
 
+import java.nio.charset.Charset;
+
 /** A test server
  * 
  * @author Emmanuel Bigeon */
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ public class TestServer {
     private static SocketConsoleApplicationShell getShell() {
         if (SHELL == null) {
             SHELL = new SocketConsoleApplicationShell(3300, "close",
-                    ConsoleTestApplication.EXIT);
+                    ConsoleTestApplication.EXIT, Charset.forName("UTF-8"));
             final ConsoleTestApplication app = new ConsoleTestApplication(
                     SHELL.getConsoleManager());
             SHELL.setApplication(app);
@@ -74,7 +76,7 @@ public class TestServer {
     public static Thread startServer(boolean autoClose) {
         if (SHELL == null) {
             SHELL = new SocketConsoleApplicationShell(3300, autoClose,
-                    ConsoleTestApplication.EXIT);
+                    ConsoleTestApplication.EXIT, Charset.forName("UTF-8"));
             final ConsoleTestApplication app = new ConsoleTestApplication(
                     SHELL.getConsoleManager());
             SHELL.setApplication(app);