diff --git a/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBar.cs b/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBar.cs
index 4262541..4198c0f 100644
--- a/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBar.cs
+++ b/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBar.cs
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ private static void CondensedProgressBar(
 			var truncatedMessage = StringExtensions.Excerpt(message, messageWidth - 2) + " ";
 			var width = (Console.WindowWidth - (depth * 2) + 2) - truncatedMessage.Length;
 
+			if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(ProgressBarOptions.ProgressMessageEncodingName))
+			{
+				width = width + message.Length - System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding(ProgressBarOptions.ProgressMessageEncodingName).GetBytes(message).Length;
+			}
 
 			var newWidth = (int) ((width * percentage) / 100d);
 			var progBar = new string(progressCharacter, newWidth);
@@ -180,6 +184,10 @@ private static void ProgressBarBottomHalf(double percentage, DateTime startDate,
 			var column1Width = Console.WindowWidth - durationString.Length - (depth * 2) + 2;
 			var column2Width = durationString.Length;
 
+			if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(ProgressBarOptions.ProgressMessageEncodingName))
+			{
+				column1Width = column1Width + message.Length - System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding(ProgressBarOptions.ProgressMessageEncodingName).GetBytes(message).Length;
+			}
 
 			if (progressBarOnBottom)
 				DrawTopHalfPrefix(indentation, depth);
diff --git a/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBarOptions.cs b/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBarOptions.cs
index 6fed7f0..d13a4b1 100644
--- a/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBarOptions.cs
+++ b/src/ShellProgressBar/ProgressBarOptions.cs
@@ -11,6 +11,20 @@ public class ProgressBarOptions
 		private bool _enableTaskBarProgress;
 		public static readonly ProgressBarOptions Default = new ProgressBarOptions();
 
+		public static string ProgressMessageEncodingName { get; set; }
+
+		public string MessageEncodingName
+		{
+			get
+			{
+				return ProgressMessageEncodingName;
+			}
+			set
+			{
+				ProgressMessageEncodingName = value;
+			}
+		}
+
 		/// <summary> The foreground color of the progress bar, message and time</summary>
 		public ConsoleColor ForegroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.Green;
 
@@ -83,7 +97,7 @@ public bool EnableTaskBarProgress
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
-        /// Take ownership of writing a message that is intended to be displayed above the progressbar.
+		/// Take ownership of writing a message that is intended to be displayed above the progressbar.
 		/// The delegate is expected to return the number of messages written to the console as a result of the string argument.
 		/// <para>Use case: pretty print or change the console colors, the progressbar will reset back</para>
 		/// </summary>