diff --git a/src/PHPWord/Section.php b/src/PHPWord/Section.php
index 10d1ce6d..d1106d8a 100644
--- a/src/PHPWord/Section.php
+++ b/src/PHPWord/Section.php
@@ -109,8 +109,10 @@ class PHPWord_Section {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Text
 	 */
 	public function addText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$givenText = utf8_encode($text);
-		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($givenText, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
+		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $text;
 		return $text;
 	}
@@ -125,9 +127,13 @@ class PHPWord_Section {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Link
 	 */
 	public function addLink($linkSrc, $linkName = null, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$linkSrc = utf8_encode($linkSrc);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($linkSrc)){
+      $linkSrc = utf8_encode($linkSrc);
+    }
 		if(!is_null($linkName)) {
-			$linkName = utf8_encode($linkName);
+      if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($linkName)){
+        $linkName = utf8_encode($linkName);
+      }
 		}
 		
 		$link = new PHPWord_Section_Link($linkSrc, $linkName, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
@@ -179,7 +185,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_ListItem
 	 */
 	public function addListItem($text, $depth = 0, $styleFont = null, $styleList = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$text = utf8_encode($text);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
 		$listItem = new PHPWord_Section_ListItem($text, $depth, $styleFont, $styleList, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $listItem;
 		return $listItem;
@@ -287,7 +295,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Title
 	 */
 	public function addTitle($text, $depth = 1) {
-		$text = utf8_encode($text);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
 		$styles = PHPWord_Style::getStyles();
 		if(array_key_exists('Heading_'.$depth, $styles)) {
 			$style = 'Heading'.$depth;
diff --git a/src/PHPWord/Section/Footer.php b/src/PHPWord/Section/Footer.php
index 90cc9a48..39115097 100644
--- a/src/PHPWord/Section/Footer.php
+++ b/src/PHPWord/Section/Footer.php
@@ -72,8 +72,10 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Footer {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Text
 	 */
 	public function addText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$givenText = utf8_encode($text);
-		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($givenText, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
+		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $text;
 		return $text;
 	}
@@ -162,7 +164,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Footer {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Footer_PreserveText
 	 */
 	public function addPreserveText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$text = utf8_encode($text);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
 		$ptext = new PHPWord_Section_Footer_PreserveText($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $ptext;
 		return $ptext;
diff --git a/src/PHPWord/Section/Header.php b/src/PHPWord/Section/Header.php
index 5ea9919a..6734047e 100644
--- a/src/PHPWord/Section/Header.php
+++ b/src/PHPWord/Section/Header.php
@@ -72,8 +72,10 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Header {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Text
 	 */
 	public function addText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$givenText = utf8_encode($text);
-		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($givenText, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
+		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $text;
 		return $text;
 	}
@@ -162,7 +164,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Header {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Footer_PreserveText
 	 */
 	public function addPreserveText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$text = utf8_encode($text);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
 		$ptext = new PHPWord_Section_Footer_PreserveText($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $ptext;
 		return $ptext;
diff --git a/src/PHPWord/Section/Table/Cell.php b/src/PHPWord/Section/Table/Cell.php
index 2cf03a62..989042fe 100644
--- a/src/PHPWord/Section/Table/Cell.php
+++ b/src/PHPWord/Section/Table/Cell.php
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Table_Cell {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Text
 	 */
 	public function addText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
-		$text = utf8_encode($text);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
 		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $text;
 		return $text;
@@ -124,9 +126,13 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Table_Cell {
 	 */
 	public function addLink($linkSrc, $linkName = null, $style = null) {
 		if($this->_insideOf == 'section') {
-			$linkSrc = utf8_encode($linkSrc);
+      if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($linkSrc)){
+        $linkSrc = utf8_encode($linkSrc);
+      }
 			if(!is_null($linkName)) {
-				$linkName = utf8_encode($linkName);
+        if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($linkName)){
+          $linkName = utf8_encode($linkName);
+        }
 			}
 			
 			$link = new PHPWord_Section_Link($linkSrc, $linkName, $style);
@@ -160,7 +166,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Table_Cell {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_ListItem
 	 */
 	public function addListItem($text, $depth = 0, $styleText = null, $styleList = null) {
-		$text = utf8_encode($text);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
 		$listItem = new PHPWord_Section_ListItem($text, $depth, $styleText, $styleList);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $listItem;
 		return $listItem;
@@ -269,7 +277,9 @@ class PHPWord_Section_Table_Cell {
 	 */
 	public function addPreserveText($text, $styleFont = null, $styleParagraph = null) {
 		if($this->_insideOf == 'footer' || $this->_insideOf == 'header') {
-			$text = utf8_encode($text);
+      if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+        $text = utf8_encode($text);
+      }
 			$ptext = new PHPWord_Section_Footer_PreserveText($text, $styleFont, $styleParagraph);
 			$this->_elementCollection[] = $ptext;
 			return $ptext;
diff --git a/src/PHPWord/Section/TextRun.php b/src/PHPWord/Section/TextRun.php
index 4f5eece9..6a9bfaca 100644
--- a/src/PHPWord/Section/TextRun.php
+++ b/src/PHPWord/Section/TextRun.php
@@ -80,8 +80,10 @@ class PHPWord_Section_TextRun {
 	 * @return PHPWord_Section_Text
 	 */
 	public function addText($text = null, $styleFont = null) {
-		$givenText = utf8_encode($text);
-		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($givenText, $styleFont);
+    if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($text)){
+      $text = utf8_encode($text);
+    }
+		$text = new PHPWord_Section_Text($text, $styleFont);
 		$this->_elementCollection[] = $text;
 		return $text;
 	}
diff --git a/src/PHPWord/Template.php b/src/PHPWord/Template.php
index 832776c3..72004253 100644
--- a/src/PHPWord/Template.php
+++ b/src/PHPWord/Template.php
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ class PHPWord_Template {
         }
         
         if(!is_array($replace)) {
-            $replace = utf8_encode($replace);
+            if(!PHPWord_Shared_String::IsUTF8($replace)){
+              $replace = utf8_encode($replace);
+            }
         }
         
         $this->_documentXML = str_replace($search, $replace, $this->_documentXML);