diff --git a/plugin/tagbar.vim b/plugin/tagbar.vim
index d9e188b..1f85f42 100644
--- a/plugin/tagbar.vim
+++ b/plugin/tagbar.vim
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ if !exists('g:tagbar_foldlevel')
     let g:tagbar_foldlevel = 99
 endif
 
-if has('multi_byte') && &encoding == 'utf-8'
+if has('multi_byte') && &encoding == 'utf-8' &&
+            \ (empty(&termencoding) || &termencoding == 'utf-8')
     let s:icon_closed = '▶'
     let s:icon_open   = '▼'
 else
diff --git a/syntax/tagbar.vim b/syntax/tagbar.vim
index d1d67b7..f7fab7d 100644
--- a/syntax/tagbar.vim
+++ b/syntax/tagbar.vim
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ if exists("b:current_syntax")
   finish
 endif
 
-if has('multi_byte') && &encoding == 'utf-8'
+if has('multi_byte') && &encoding == 'utf-8' &&
+            \ (empty(&termencoding) || &termencoding == 'utf-8')
     syntax match TagbarKind      '\([▶▼][-+ ]\)\@<=[^-+: ]\+[^:]\+$'
     syntax match TagbarScope     '[^-+#▶▼(* ]\+\(\*\? :\)\@='