diff --git a/lisp/subr.el b/lisp/subr.el
index 682e156de12..036f414262a 100644
--- a/lisp/subr.el
+++ b/lisp/subr.el
@@ -1806,7 +1806,7 @@ See also `current-global-map'.")
 (defun listify-key-sequence (key)
   "Convert a key sequence to a list of events."
   (declare (side-effect-free t))
-  (if (vectorp key)
+  (if (or (vectorp key) (multibyte-string-p key))
       (append key nil)
     (mapcar (lambda (c)
               (if (> c 127)
diff --git a/test/lisp/subr-tests.el b/test/lisp/subr-tests.el
index 791b06f9edf..b99328459d6 100644
--- a/test/lisp/subr-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/subr-tests.el
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@
   (should (eq (global-key-binding "x") 'self-insert-command))
   (should-not (global-key-binding [f12])))
 
+(ert-deftest subr-listify-key-sequence ()
+  (should (equal (listify-key-sequence "ŕ°") '(?ŕ ?°))))
+
 
 ;;;; Mode hooks.