diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7253204e9..66db33ea3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
         "@tanstack/react-table": "^8.10.3",
         "@types/semver": "^7.5.6",
         "autobind-decorator": "^2.4.0",
+        "base64-js": "^1.5.1",
         "classnames": "^2.3.1",
         "dayjs": "^1.11.3",
         "dompurify": "^3.0.2",
diff --git a/src/model/model.ts b/src/model/model.ts
index 4ba81bd19..ce2d49a88 100644
--- a/src/model/model.ts
+++ b/src/model/model.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import { boundMethod } from "autobind-decorator";
 import { debounce } from "throttle-debounce";
 import {
     handleJsonFetchResponse,
+    base64ToString,
+    stringToBase64,
     base64ToArray,
     genMergeData,
     genMergeDataMap,
@@ -336,7 +338,7 @@ class Cmd {
             type: "feinput",
             ck: this.screenId + "/" + this.lineId,
             remote: this.remote,
-            inputdata64: btoa(data),
+            inputdata64: stringToBase64(data),
         };
         GlobalModel.sendInputPacket(inputPacket);
     }
@@ -2866,7 +2868,7 @@ class RemotesModalModel {
         let inputPacket: RemoteInputPacketType = {
             type: "remoteinput",
             remoteid: remoteId,
-            inputdata64: btoa(event.key),
+            inputdata64: stringToBase64(event.key),
         };
         GlobalModel.sendInputPacket(inputPacket);
     }
@@ -3045,7 +3047,7 @@ class RemotesModel {
         let inputPacket: RemoteInputPacketType = {
             type: "remoteinput",
             remoteid: remoteId,
-            inputdata64: btoa(event.key),
+            inputdata64: stringToBase64(event.key),
         };
         GlobalModel.sendInputPacket(inputPacket);
     }
@@ -4201,7 +4203,7 @@ class Model {
                     return resp.text() as any;
                 }
                 contentType = resp.headers.get("Content-Type");
-                fileInfo = JSON.parse(atob(resp.headers.get("X-FileInfo")));
+                fileInfo = JSON.parse(base64ToString(resp.headers.get("X-FileInfo")));
                 return resp.blob();
             })
             .then((blobOrText: any) => {
diff --git a/src/util/util.ts b/src/util/util.ts
index b5d9ee62f..b4b80ef19 100644
--- a/src/util/util.ts
+++ b/src/util/util.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { sprintf } from "sprintf-js";
 import dayjs from "dayjs";
 import localizedFormat from "dayjs/plugin/localizedFormat";
 import type { RemoteType, CommandRtnType } from "../types/types";
+import base64 from "base64-js";
 
 type OV<V> = mobx.IObservableValue<V>;
 
@@ -70,6 +71,16 @@ function handleJsonFetchResponse(url: URL, resp: any): Promise<any> {
     return rtnData;
 }
 
+function base64ToString(b64: string): string {
+    let stringBytes = base64.toByteArray(b64)
+    return new TextDecoder().decode(stringBytes)
+}
+
+function stringToBase64(input: string): string {
+    let stringBytes = new TextEncoder().encode(input)
+    return base64.fromByteArray(stringBytes)
+}
+
 function base64ToArray(b64: string): Uint8Array {
     let rawStr = atob(b64);
     let rtnArr = new Uint8Array(new ArrayBuffer(rawStr.length));
@@ -229,26 +240,6 @@ function genMergeDataMap<ObjType extends IObjType<DataType>, DataType extends ID
     return rtn;
 }
 
-function parseEnv0(envStr64: string): Map<string, string> {
-    let envStr = atob(envStr64);
-    let parts = envStr.split("\x00");
-    let rtn: Map<string, string> = new Map();
-    for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) {
-        let part = parts[i];
-        if (part == "") {
-            continue;
-        }
-        let eqIdx = part.indexOf("=");
-        if (eqIdx == -1) {
-            continue;
-        }
-        let varName = part.substr(0, eqIdx);
-        let varVal = part.substr(eqIdx + 1);
-        rtn.set(varName, varVal);
-    }
-    return rtn;
-}
-
 function boundInt(ival: number, minVal: number, maxVal: number): number {
     if (ival < minVal) {
         return minVal;
@@ -414,11 +405,12 @@ function getRemoteName(remote: RemoteType): string {
 
 export {
     handleJsonFetchResponse,
+    base64ToString,
+    stringToBase64,
     base64ToArray,
     genMergeData,
     genMergeDataMap,
     genMergeSimpleData,
-    parseEnv0,
     boundInt,
     isModKeyPress,
     incObs,
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go b/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go
index c2dec0500..f75030558 100644
--- a/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go
@@ -927,14 +927,6 @@ func ParseJsonPacket(jsonBuf []byte) (PacketType, error) {
 	return pk, nil
 }
 
-func sanitizeBytes(buf []byte) {
-	for idx, b := range buf {
-		if b >= 127 || (b < 32 && b != 10 && b != 13) {
-			buf[idx] = '?'
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 type SendError struct {
 	IsWriteError   bool // fatal
 	IsMarshalError bool // not fatal
@@ -970,7 +962,6 @@ func MarshalPacket(packet PacketType) ([]byte, error) {
 	outBuf.Write(jsonBytes)
 	outBuf.WriteByte('\n')
 	outBytes := outBuf.Bytes()
-	sanitizeBytes(outBytes)
 	return outBytes, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go b/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go
index 145920962..786597db0 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go
@@ -1126,6 +1126,9 @@ func addScVarsToState(state *packet.ShellState) *packet.ShellState {
 	envMap := shexec.DeclMapFromState(&rtn)
 	envMap["PROMPT"] = &shexec.DeclareDeclType{Name: "PROMPT", Value: "1", Args: "x"}
 	envMap["PROMPT_VERSION"] = &shexec.DeclareDeclType{Name: "PROMPT_VERSION", Value: scbase.WaveVersion, Args: "x"}
+	if _, exists := envMap["LANG"]; !exists {
+		envMap["LANG"] = &shexec.DeclareDeclType{Name: "LANG", Value: scbase.DetermineLang(), Args: "x"}
+	}
 	rtn.ShellVars = shexec.SerializeDeclMap(envMap)
 	return &rtn
 }
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/scbase/scbase.go b/wavesrv/pkg/scbase/scbase.go
index 2b064cdff..84643ef72 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/scbase/scbase.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/scbase/scbase.go
@@ -377,3 +377,30 @@ func MacOSRelease() string {
 	})
 	return osRelease
 }
+
+var osLangOnce = &sync.Once{}
+var osLang string
+
+func determineLang() string {
+	ctx, cancelFn := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
+	defer cancelFn()
+	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
+		out, err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "defaults", "read", "-g", "AppleLocale").CombinedOutput()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("error executing 'defaults read -g AppleLocale': %v\n", err)
+			return ""
+		}
+		return strings.TrimSpace(string(out)) + ".UTF-8"
+	} else {
+		// this is specifically to get the wavesrv LANG so waveshell
+		// on a remote uses the same LANG
+		return os.Getenv("LANG")
+	}
+}
+
+func DetermineLang() string {
+	osLangOnce.Do(func() {
+		osLang = determineLang()
+	})
+	return osLang
+}