diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/EncodingFixture.cs b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/EncodingFixture.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a770ba22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/EncodingFixture.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+using LibGit2Sharp.Tests.TestHelpers;
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using Xunit;
+using Xunit.Extensions;
+
+namespace LibGit2Sharp.Tests
+{
+    public class EncodingFixture : BaseFixture
+    {
+        [Theory]
+        //[InlineData("7bc349e5efdb52884cf47d860852e4912b12c244", "MãcRömãñ", 1000)]
+        [InlineData("782dced4c3930bc3c291b24c115ba9a231049d80", "Lãtïñ Òñê", 1250)]
+        //[InlineData("29b28e7d3e84aef886c0e00ff9de1a8cc1fda352", "Cõdêpâgê850", 850)]
+        public void CorruptAuthorNameEncoding(string commitId, string authorName, int commitEncoding)
+        {
+            string path = CloneEncodingTestRepo();
+            
+            using (var repo = new Repository(path))
+            {
+                Commit commit = repo.Lookup<Commit>(commitId);
+                Assert.Equal(authorName, commit.Author.Name);
+            }
+        }
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/LibGit2Sharp.Tests.csproj b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/LibGit2Sharp.Tests.csproj
index f9dc8766f..2e6a7ad7b 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/LibGit2Sharp.Tests.csproj
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/LibGit2Sharp.Tests.csproj
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@
     <Compile Include="TreeFixture.cs" />
     <Compile Include="TupleFixture.cs" />
     <Compile Include="UnstageFixture.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="EncodingFixture.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ProjectReference Include="..\LibGit2Sharp\LibGit2Sharp.csproj">
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/HEAD b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/HEAD
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb089cd89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/HEAD
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ref: refs/heads/master
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/config b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba3781a98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/config
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[core]
+	repositoryformatversion = 0
+	filemode = false
+	bare = true
+	symlinks = false
+	ignorecase = true
+	hideDotFiles = dotGitOnly
+[remote "origin"]
+	url = D:/temp/.\\commitencodings
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/description b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/description
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..498b267a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/description
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Unnamed repository; edit this file 'description' to name the repository.
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/info/exclude b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/info/exclude
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5196d1be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/info/exclude
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# git ls-files --others --exclude-from=.git/info/exclude
+# Lines that start with '#' are comments.
+# For a project mostly in C, the following would be a good set of
+# exclude patterns (uncomment them if you want to use them):
+# *.[oa]
+# *~
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/29/b28e7d3e84aef886c0e00ff9de1a8cc1fda352 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/29/b28e7d3e84aef886c0e00ff9de1a8cc1fda352
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bff951ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/29/b28e7d3e84aef886c0e00ff9de1a8cc1fda352
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+x
��M
+�0@a�9���i�� "x�4�F��#�wӃz�Gp�V/�e�u �w��� 8'3"t3E�F�2q�'FF�³_K��'���W��T[��
+K�ˡ�|Ҏ	�5�q@T�w���p����Q_~86
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/2e/0fd4b1141106f1c4695ae5882cbe76e0b80803 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/2e/0fd4b1141106f1c4695ae5882cbe76e0b80803
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b75e2bbb
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/2e/0fd4b1141106f1c4695ae5882cbe76e0b80803 differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/51/b2b38d0f9047d699e10ff792f2b2d8eb62e2e4 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/51/b2b38d0f9047d699e10ff792f2b2d8eb62e2e4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff90da484
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/51/b2b38d0f9047d699e10ff792f2b2d8eb62e2e4 differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/59/7dd33db0c0f6300331a4f210423e3b8d983685 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/59/7dd33db0c0f6300331a4f210423e3b8d983685
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..881ddeab7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/59/7dd33db0c0f6300331a4f210423e3b8d983685
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+x
5˱
�0Qj$v�%4�ك�K�F��CCyһtjB�F��t)v�,,L}���a��\
+uǜb^@�k���6�(ڧ��?!�^�Cb#[_�&U
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/78/2dced4c3930bc3c291b24c115ba9a231049d80 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/78/2dced4c3930bc3c291b24c115ba9a231049d80
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d95fa0657
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/78/2dced4c3930bc3c291b24c115ba9a231049d80 differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/7b/c349e5efdb52884cf47d860852e4912b12c244 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/7b/c349e5efdb52884cf47d860852e4912b12c244
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..041fabfd7
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/7b/c349e5efdb52884cf47d860852e4912b12c244 differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/88/4af1c5d0696b59f69c75b9d67a9bd5ef8c1a86 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/88/4af1c5d0696b59f69c75b9d67a9bd5ef8c1a86
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e5cb015d
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/88/4af1c5d0696b59f69c75b9d67a9bd5ef8c1a86 differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/c4/7091527cea53872960bd884a5a8dd906086bab b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/c4/7091527cea53872960bd884a5a8dd906086bab
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..746f49ec0
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/c4/7091527cea53872960bd884a5a8dd906086bab differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/c6/2f9da614246e7f459a2a9d3dc2c325748435b3 b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/c6/2f9da614246e7f459a2a9d3dc2c325748435b3
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..33b4e0c37
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/c6/2f9da614246e7f459a2a9d3dc2c325748435b3 differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/dc/1c18daa88fce6f7e30c76807599df2a4120edd b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/dc/1c18daa88fce6f7e30c76807599df2a4120edd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..803f3f742
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/dc/1c18daa88fce6f7e30c76807599df2a4120edd differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/e2/815f18f98bb05b7647c823ed04ffa048295b6a b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/e2/815f18f98bb05b7647c823ed04ffa048295b6a
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7410bda03
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/e2/815f18f98bb05b7647c823ed04ffa048295b6a differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/ee/a2d88119c98e8f89c2a6cb528572414da19e7d b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/ee/a2d88119c98e8f89c2a6cb528572414da19e7d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c0a7a6d7
Binary files /dev/null and b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/objects/ee/a2d88119c98e8f89c2a6cb528572414da19e7d differ
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/packed-refs b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/packed-refs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b734287f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/packed-refs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# pack-refs with: peeled 
+29b28e7d3e84aef886c0e00ff9de1a8cc1fda352 refs/heads/dos850
+c62f9da614246e7f459a2a9d3dc2c325748435b3 refs/heads/master
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/refs/heads/master b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/refs/heads/master
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a68813ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/Resources/commitencodings.git/refs/heads/master
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+c62f9da614246e7f459a2a9d3dc2c325748435b3
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/TestHelpers/BaseFixture.cs b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/TestHelpers/BaseFixture.cs
index 2158b590f..8deed3cb2 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/TestHelpers/BaseFixture.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/TestHelpers/BaseFixture.cs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ static BaseFixture()
         public static string StandardTestRepoPath { get; private set; }
         public static string MergedTestRepoWorkingDirPath { get; private set; }
         public static string SubmoduleTestRepoWorkingDirPath { get; private set; }
+        public static string BareEncodingRepoPath { get; private set; }
         public static DirectoryInfo ResourcesDirectory { get; private set; }
 
         public static readonly Signature DummySignature = new Signature("Author N. Ame", "him@there.com", TruncateSubSeconds(DateTimeOffset.Now));
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ private static void SetUpTestEnvironment()
             StandardTestRepoPath = Path.Combine(StandardTestRepoWorkingDirPath, ".git");
             MergedTestRepoWorkingDirPath = Path.Combine(ResourcesDirectory.FullName, "mergedrepo_wd");
             SubmoduleTestRepoWorkingDirPath = Path.Combine(ResourcesDirectory.FullName, "submodule_wd");
+            BareEncodingRepoPath = Path.Combine(ResourcesDirectory.FullName, "commitencodings.git");
         }
 
         private static bool IsFileSystemCaseSensitiveInternal()
@@ -107,6 +109,11 @@ protected string CloneMergedTestRepo()
             return Clone(MergedTestRepoWorkingDirPath);
         }
 
+        protected string CloneEncodingTestRepo()
+        {
+            return Clone(BareEncodingRepoPath);
+        }
+
         public string CloneSubmoduleTestRepo()
         {
             var submoduleTarget = Path.Combine(ResourcesDirectory.FullName, "submodule_target_wd");
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Utf8Marshaler.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Utf8Marshaler.cs
index ec78db8fc..68d77838f 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Utf8Marshaler.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Utf8Marshaler.cs
@@ -48,6 +48,18 @@ internal class Utf8Marshaler : ICustomMarshaler
     {
         private static readonly Utf8Marshaler staticInstance = new Utf8Marshaler();
 
+        private static readonly Encoding marshallerEncoding = UTF8EncodingWithFallBack;
+
+        public static Encoding UTF8EncodingWithFallBack
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                Encoding encoding = (Encoding)Encoding.UTF8.Clone();
+                encoding.DecoderFallback = new DecoderExceptionFallback();
+                return encoding;
+            }
+        }
+
         public static ICustomMarshaler GetInstance(String cookie)
         {
             return staticInstance;
@@ -141,7 +153,7 @@ public static unsafe String FromNative(IntPtr pNativeData)
                 return String.Empty;
             }
 
-            return new String((sbyte*)pNativeData.ToPointer(), 0, (int)(walk - start), Encoding.UTF8);
+            return FromNative(pNativeData, (int)(walk - start));
         }
 
         public static unsafe String FromNative(IntPtr pNativeData, int length)
@@ -156,7 +168,16 @@ public static unsafe String FromNative(IntPtr pNativeData, int length)
                 return String.Empty;
             }
 
-            return new String((sbyte*)pNativeData.ToPointer(), 0, length, Encoding.UTF8);
+            try
+            {
+                // Try UTF8 with fallback
+                return new String((sbyte*)pNativeData.ToPointer(), 0, length, marshallerEncoding);
+            }
+            catch (DecoderFallbackException)
+            {
+                // If this fails, try the platform default.
+                return new String((sbyte*)pNativeData.ToPointer(), 0, length, Encoding.Default);
+            }
         }
 
         public static String Utf8FromBuffer(byte[] buffer)
@@ -180,7 +201,16 @@ public static String Utf8FromBuffer(byte[] buffer)
                 return String.Empty;
             }
 
-            return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(buffer, 0, length);
+            try
+            {
+                // Try UTF8 with fallback
+                return marshallerEncoding.GetString(buffer, 0, length);
+            }
+            catch (DecoderFallbackException)
+            {
+                // If fails, use platform default
+                return Encoding.Default.GetString(buffer, 0, length);
+            }
         }
     }
 }