diff --git a/src/Fenom.php b/src/Fenom.php
index cc7f723..fc4cec1 100644
--- a/src/Fenom.php
+++ b/src/Fenom.php
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ class Fenom
     const ACCESSOR_VAR    = 'Fenom\Accessor::parserVar';
     const ACCESSOR_CALL   = 'Fenom\Accessor::parserCall';
 
+    public static $charset = "UTF-8";
+
     /**
      * @var int[] of possible options, as associative array
      * @see setOptions
diff --git a/src/Fenom/Modifier.php b/src/Fenom/Modifier.php
index 04cfbbf..9976800 100644
--- a/src/Fenom/Modifier.php
+++ b/src/Fenom/Modifier.php
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ class Modifier
      * @param string $charset
      * @return string
      */
-    public static function escape($text, $type = 'html', $charset = 'UTF-8')
+    public static function escape($text, $type = 'html', $charset = null)
     {
         switch (strtolower($type)) {
             case "url":
                 return urlencode($text);
             case "html";
-                return htmlspecialchars($text, ENT_COMPAT, $charset);
+                return htmlspecialchars($text, ENT_COMPAT, $charset ? $charset : \Fenom::$charset);
             case "js":
                 return json_encode($text, 64 | 256); // JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES = 64, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE = 256
             default:
diff --git a/src/Fenom/Template.php b/src/Fenom/Template.php
index 9f00ec1..2586c88 100644
--- a/src/Fenom/Template.php
+++ b/src/Fenom/Template.php
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ class Template extends Render
             $escape = $this->_options & Fenom::AUTO_ESCAPE;
         }
         if ($escape) {
-            return "echo htmlspecialchars($data, ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8');";
+            return "echo htmlspecialchars($data, ENT_COMPAT, ".var_export(Fenom::$charset, true).");";
         } else {
             return "echo $data;";
         }