diff --git a/Source/loadsave.cpp b/Source/loadsave.cpp
index b13df0bb0..ce95a89f7 100644
--- a/Source/loadsave.cpp
+++ b/Source/loadsave.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ T SwapBE(T in)
 	}
 }
 
+void TerminateUtf8(char *str, size_t maxLength)
+{
+	std::string_view inStr { str, maxLength };
+	std::string_view truncStr = TruncateUtf8(inStr, maxLength - 1);
+	size_t utf8Length = truncStr.size();
+	str[utf8Length] = '\0';
+}
+
 class LoadHelper {
 	std::unique_ptr<std::byte[]> m_buffer_;
 	size_t m_cur_ = 0;
@@ -269,7 +277,9 @@ void LoadItemData(LoadHelper &file, Item &item)
 	item._iIdentified = file.NextBool32();
 	item._iMagical = static_cast<item_quality>(file.NextLE<int8_t>());
 	file.NextBytes(item._iName, ItemNameLength);
+	TerminateUtf8(item._iName, ItemNameLength);
 	file.NextBytes(item._iIName, ItemNameLength);
+	TerminateUtf8(item._iIName, ItemNameLength);
 	item._iLoc = static_cast<item_equip_type>(file.NextLE<int8_t>());
 	item._iClass = static_cast<item_class>(file.NextLE<uint8_t>());
 	file.Skip(1); // Alignment
@@ -439,6 +449,7 @@ void LoadPlayer(LoadHelper &file, Player &player)
 	player._pLvlChanging = file.NextBool8();
 
 	file.NextBytes(player._pName, PlayerNameLength);
+	TerminateUtf8(player._pName, PlayerNameLength);
 	player._pClass = static_cast<HeroClass>(file.NextLE<int8_t>());
 	file.Skip(3); // Alignment
 	player._pStrength = file.NextLE<int32_t>();