diff --git a/lib/core/common.py b/lib/core/common.py
index 1395a3079..97131a357 100755
--- a/lib/core/common.py
+++ b/lib/core/common.py
@@ -3365,6 +3365,27 @@ def checkDeprecatedOptions(args):
                 errMsg += " (hint: %s)" % DEPRECATED_OPTIONS[_]
             raise SqlmapSyntaxException(errMsg)
 
+def checkSystemEncoding():
+    """
+    Checks for problematic encodings
+    """
+
+    if sys.getdefaultencoding() == "cp720":
+        try:
+            codecs.lookup("cp720")
+        except LookupError:
+            errMsg = "there is a known Python issue (#1616979) related "
+            errMsg += "to support for charset 'cp720'. Please visit "
+            errMsg += "'http://blog.oneortheother.info/tip/python-fix-cp720-encoding/index.html' "
+            errMsg += "and follow the instructions to be able to fix it"
+            logger.critical(errMsg)
+
+            warnMsg = "temporary switching to charset 'cp1256'"
+            logger.warn(warnMsg)
+
+            reload(sys)
+            sys.setdefaultencoding("cp1256")
+
 def evaluateCode(code, variables=None):
     """
     Executes given python code given in a string form
diff --git a/lib/parse/cmdline.py b/lib/parse/cmdline.py
index b74d66189..f5269f556 100644
--- a/lib/parse/cmdline.py
+++ b/lib/parse/cmdline.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 sqlmap developers (http://sqlmap.org/)
 See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission
 """
 
+import codecs
 import sys
 
 from optparse import OptionError
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ from optparse import OptionParser
 from optparse import SUPPRESS_HELP
 
 from lib.core.common import checkDeprecatedOptions
+from lib.core.common import checkSystemEncoding
 from lib.core.common import expandMnemonics
 from lib.core.common import getUnicode
 from lib.core.data import logger
@@ -28,6 +30,8 @@ def cmdLineParser():
     This function parses the command line parameters and arguments
     """
 
+    checkSystemEncoding()
+
     usage = "%s%s [options]" % ("python " if not IS_WIN else "", \
             "\"%s\"" % sys.argv[0] if " " in sys.argv[0] else sys.argv[0])