diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 63f932948..9f9f1caca 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
     },
     "require-dev": {
         "phpunit/phpunit": "4.*",
-        "pear/pear_exception": "1.0-beta1",
-        "pear/log": "~1.12"
+        "pear/pear_exception": "^1.0",
+        "pear/log": "^1.13"
     },
     "autoload": {
         "files": [ "ActiveRecord.php" ]
diff --git a/lib/Validations.php b/lib/Validations.php
index 64a58cfa5..3b567ad41 100644
--- a/lib/Validations.php
+++ b/lib/Validations.php
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ public function validates_length_of($attrs)
 
 					$message = str_replace('%d', $option, $message);
 					$attribute_value = $this->model->$attribute;
-					$len = strlen($attribute_value);
+					$len = mb_strlen($attribute_value, 'UTF-8');
 					$value = (int)$attr[$range_option];
 
 					if ('maximum' == $range_option && $len > $value)
diff --git a/test/ValidatesLengthOfTest.php b/test/ValidatesLengthOfTest.php
index bd93a1d80..362f45ffa 100644
--- a/test/ValidatesLengthOfTest.php
+++ b/test/ValidatesLengthOfTest.php
@@ -356,5 +356,26 @@ public function test_validates_length_of_is()
 		$book->is_valid();
 		$this->assert_equals(array("Name is the wrong length (should be 2 characters)"),$book->errors->full_messages());
 	}
+	
+	    public function test_validates_length_utf8_of_maximum()
+    {
+        BookLength::$validates_length_of[0] = array('name', 'maximum' => 10);
+        $book = new BookLength(array('name' => 'абвгдеё'));
+        $this->assert_true($book->is_valid('name'));
+    }
+
+    public function test_validates_length_utf8_of_minimum()
+    {
+        BookLength::$validates_length_of[0] = array('name', 'minimum' => 3);
+        $book = new BookLength(array('name' => 'аб'));
+        $this->assert_true($book->is_invalid('name'));
+    }
+
+    public function test_validates_length_utf8_of_is()
+    {
+        BookLength::$validates_length_of[0] = array('name', 'is' => 6);
+        $book = new BookLength(array('name' => 'АаЁёЯя'));
+        $this->assert_true($book->is_valid('name'));
+    }
 };
-?>
\ No newline at end of file
+?>