diff --git a/src/bgfx.cpp b/src/bgfx.cpp
index e93ff0d466..42eaaff28f 100644
--- a/src/bgfx.cpp
+++ b/src/bgfx.cpp
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ namespace bgfx
 			num = bx::vsnprintf(temp, num, _format, argListCopy);
 
 			uint8_t attr = _attr;
-			uint8_t* mem = &m_mem[(_y*m_width+_x)*2];
+			struct MemSlot* mem = &m_mem[_y*m_width+_x];
 			for (uint32_t ii = 0, xx = _x; ii < num && xx < m_width; ++ii)
 			{
 				char ch = temp[ii];
@@ -555,9 +555,9 @@ namespace bgfx
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					mem[0] = ch;
-					mem[1] = attr;
-					mem += 2;
+					mem->character = ch;
+					mem->attribute = attr;
+					++mem;
 					++xx;
 				}
 			}
@@ -678,12 +678,14 @@ namespace bgfx
 			for (; yy < _mem.m_height && numIndices < numBatchIndices; ++yy)
 			{
 				xx = xx < _mem.m_width ? xx : 0;
-				const uint8_t* line = &_mem.m_mem[(yy*_mem.m_width+xx)*2];
+				const struct TextVideoMem::MemSlot* line = &_mem.m_mem[yy*_mem.m_width+xx];
 
 				for (; xx < _mem.m_width && numIndices < numBatchIndices; ++xx)
 				{
-					uint8_t ch = line[0];
-					uint8_t attr = line[1];
+					uint32_t ch = line->character;
+					uint8_t attr = line->attribute;
+					if (ch > 0xff)
+						ch = 0;	// todo: render unicode code point , ch > 255)
 
 					if (0 != (ch|attr)
 					&& (' ' != ch || 0 != (attr&0xf0) ) )
@@ -715,7 +717,7 @@ namespace bgfx
 						numIndices += 6;
 					}
 
-					line += 2;
+					line ++;
 				}
 
 				if (numIndices >= numBatchIndices)
diff --git a/src/bgfx_p.h b/src/bgfx_p.h
index 297191bff8..2bfc75df54 100644
--- a/src/bgfx_p.h
+++ b/src/bgfx_p.h
@@ -445,25 +445,26 @@ namespace bgfx
 				m_height = (uint16_t)height;
 
 				uint32_t size = m_size;
-				m_size = m_width * m_height * 2;
+				m_size = m_width * m_height;
 
-				m_mem = (uint8_t*)BX_REALLOC(g_allocator, m_mem, m_size);
+				m_mem = (struct MemSlot*)BX_REALLOC(g_allocator, m_mem, m_size * sizeof(struct MemSlot));
 
 				if (size < m_size)
 				{
-					bx::memSet(&m_mem[size], 0, m_size-size);
+					bx::memSet(&m_mem[size], 0, (m_size-size) * sizeof(struct MemSlot));
 				}
 			}
 		}
 
 		void clear(uint8_t _attr = 0)
 		{
-			uint8_t* mem = m_mem;
-			for (uint32_t ii = 0, num = m_size/2; ii < num; ++ii)
-			{
-				mem[0] = 0;
-				mem[1] = _attr;
-				mem += 2;
+			struct MemSlot* mem = m_mem;
+			bx::memSet(mem, 0, m_size * sizeof(struct MemSlot));
+			if (_attr != 0) {
+				for (uint32_t ii = 0, num = m_size; ii < num; ++ii)
+				{
+					mem[ii].attribute = _attr;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -481,16 +482,28 @@ namespace bgfx
 		{
 			if (_x < m_width && _y < m_height)
 			{
-				uint8_t* dst = &m_mem[(_y*m_width+_x)*2];
+				struct MemSlot * dst = &m_mem[_y*m_width+_x];
 				const uint8_t* src = (const uint8_t*)_data;
-				const uint32_t width  = (bx::uint32_min(m_width,  _width +_x)-_x)*2;
+				const uint32_t width  =  bx::uint32_min(m_width,  _width +_x)-_x;
 				const uint32_t height =  bx::uint32_min(m_height, _height+_y)-_y;
-				const uint32_t dstPitch = m_width*2;
-				bx::memCopy(dst, src, width, height, _pitch, dstPitch);
+				const uint32_t dstPitch = m_width;
+				for (uint32_t ii = 0; ii < height; ++ii) {
+					for (uint32_t jj = 0; jj < width; ++jj) {
+						dst[jj].character = src[jj*2];
+						dst[jj].attribute = src[jj*2+1];
+					}
+					src += _pitch;
+					dst += dstPitch;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
-		uint8_t* m_mem;
+		struct MemSlot {
+			uint32_t attribute:8;
+			uint32_t character:24;	// 24bit for dos (code page 437) and unicode (000000–​10FFFF)
+		};
+
+		struct MemSlot* m_mem;
 		uint32_t m_size;
 		uint16_t m_width;
 		uint16_t m_height;