diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/ContactMailController.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/ContactMailController.java
index 4a275a607..2c3cdcbc4 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/ContactMailController.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/ContactMailController.java
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ public class ContactMailController extends FreemarkerHttpServlet {
         msg.setSubject( deliveryfrom );
 
         // add the multipart to the message
-        msg.setContent(msgText,"text/html");
+        msg.setContent(msgText,"text/html; charset=UTF-8");
 
         // set the Date: header
         msg.setSentDate( new Date() );