diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.cpp
index 69b5faeb..747a1b71 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.cpp
@@ -1097,6 +1097,39 @@ UInt32 cyMisc::SendRTChat(pyPlayer& from, const std::vector<pyPlayer*> & tolist,
     return msgFlags;
 }
 
+UInt32 cyMisc::SendRTChat(pyPlayer& from, const std::vector<pyPlayer*> & tolist, const wchar_t* message, UInt32 flags)
+{
+    // create the messge that will contain the chat message
+    pfKIMsg *msg = TRACKED_NEW pfKIMsg( pfKIMsg::kHACKChatMsg );
+    msg->SetString( message );
+    msg->SetUser( from.GetPlayerName(), from.GetPlayerID() );
+    msg->SetFlags( flags );
+    msg->SetBCastFlag(plMessage::kNetPropagate | plMessage::kNetForce);
+    msg->SetBCastFlag(plMessage::kLocalPropagate, 0);
+
+    if (tolist.size() > 0)
+    {
+        if (flags & 8/* kRTChatInterAge in PlasmaKITypes.py */)
+        {
+            // allow inter-age routing of this msg
+            msg->SetBCastFlag( plMessage::kNetAllowInterAge );
+        }
+        // add net rcvrs to msg
+        for ( int i = 0 ; i < tolist.size() ; i++ )
+        {
+            if ( !VaultAmIgnoringPlayer( tolist[i]->GetPlayerID() ) )
+                msg->AddNetReceiver(tolist[i]->GetPlayerID());
+        }
+    }
+
+    UInt32 msgFlags = msg->GetFlags();
+
+    if (tolist.size() == 0 || (msg->GetNetReceivers() && msg->GetNetReceivers()->size() > 0))
+        msg->Send();
+
+    return msgFlags;
+}
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 //  Function   : SendKIMessage
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.h b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.h
index fe2afa51..f0cb8207 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.h
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMisc.h
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ public:
     //  RETURNS    : the flags that were sent with the message (may be modified)
     //
     static UInt32 SendRTChat(pyPlayer& from, const std::vector<pyPlayer*> & tolist, const char* message, UInt32 flags);
+    static UInt32 SendRTChat(pyPlayer& from, const std::vector<pyPlayer*> & tolist, const wchar_t* message, UInt32 flags);
 
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     //
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMiscGlue.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMiscGlue.cpp
index 2a2c842d..f429f9f6 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMiscGlue.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/cyMiscGlue.cpp
@@ -196,9 +196,9 @@ PYTHON_GLOBAL_METHOD_DEFINITION(PtSendRTChat, args, "Params: fromPlayer,toPlayer
 {
     PyObject* fromPlayerObj = NULL;
     PyObject* toPlayerListObj = NULL;
-    char* message = NULL;
+    PyObject* message = NULL;
     unsigned long msgFlags;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "OOsl", &fromPlayerObj, &toPlayerListObj, &message, &msgFlags))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "OOOl", &fromPlayerObj, &toPlayerListObj, &message, &msgFlags))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "PtSendRTChat expects a ptPlayer, a list of ptPlayers, a string, and a long");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -232,7 +232,25 @@ PYTHON_GLOBAL_METHOD_DEFINITION(PtSendRTChat, args, "Params: fromPlayer,toPlayer
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
     }
 
-    return PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(cyMisc::SendRTChat(*fromPlayer, toPlayerList, message, msgFlags));
+    if (PyString_Check(message))
+    {
+        char* msg = PyString_AsString(message);
+        return PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(cyMisc::SendRTChat(*fromPlayer, toPlayerList, msg, msgFlags));
+    }
+    else if (PyUnicode_Check(message))
+    {
+        Py_ssize_t size = PyUnicode_GetSize(message);
+        wchar_t* msg = TRACKED_NEW wchar_t[size + 1]; msg[size] = 0;
+        PyUnicode_AsWideChar((PyUnicodeObject*)message, msg, size);
+        UInt32 retval = cyMisc::SendRTChat(*fromPlayer, toPlayerList, msg, msgFlags);
+        DEL(msg);
+        return PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(retval);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "PtSendRTChat expects a ptPlayer, a list of ptPlayers, a string, and a long");
+        PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
+    }
 }
 
 PYTHON_GLOBAL_METHOD_DEFINITION(PtSendKIMessage, args, "Params: command,value\nSends a command message to the KI frontend.\n"