diff --git a/core/jni/android_util_AssetManager.cpp b/core/jni/android_util_AssetManager.cpp
index a82a21e..5afa0342 100644
--- a/core/jni/android_util_AssetManager.cpp
+++ b/core/jni/android_util_AssetManager.cpp
@@ -1466,19 +1466,25 @@
     for (size_t i=0; ((ssize_t)i)<N; i++, bag++) {
         value = bag->map.value;
         jstring str = NULL;
-        
+
         // Take care of resolving the found resource to its final value.
         ssize_t block = res.resolveReference(&value, bag->stringBlock, NULL);
         if (value.dataType == Res_value::TYPE_STRING) {
-            const char16_t* str16 = res.getTableStringBlock(block)->stringAt(value.data, &strLen);
-            str = env->NewString(str16, strLen);
-            if (str == NULL) {
-                doThrow(env, "java/lang/OutOfMemoryError");
-                res.unlockBag(startOfBag);
-                return NULL;
+            const ResStringPool* pool = res.getTableStringBlock(block);
+            const char* str8 = pool->string8At(value.data, &strLen);
+            if (str8 != NULL) {
+                str = env->NewStringUTF(str8);
+            } else {
+                const char16_t* str16 = pool->stringAt(value.data, &strLen);
+                str = env->NewString(str16, strLen);
+                if (str == NULL) {
+                    doThrow(env, "java/lang/OutOfMemoryError");
+                    res.unlockBag(startOfBag);
+                    return NULL;
+                }
             }
         }
-        
+
         env->SetObjectArrayElement(array, i, str);
     }
     res.unlockBag(startOfBag);
diff --git a/core/jni/android_util_StringBlock.cpp b/core/jni/android_util_StringBlock.cpp
index ffb271c..641fbce 100644
--- a/core/jni/android_util_StringBlock.cpp
+++ b/core/jni/android_util_StringBlock.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@
     }
 
     size_t len;
+    const char* str8 = osb->string8At(idx, &len);
+    if (str8 != NULL) {
+        return env->NewStringUTF(str8);
+    }
+
     const char16_t* str = osb->stringAt(idx, &len);
     if (str == NULL) {
         doThrow(env, "java/lang/IndexOutOfBoundsException");
diff --git a/include/utils/ResourceTypes.h b/include/utils/ResourceTypes.h
index 13ea27e..cd657e8 100644
--- a/include/utils/ResourceTypes.h
+++ b/include/utils/ResourceTypes.h
@@ -447,6 +447,8 @@
     }
     const char16_t* stringAt(size_t idx, size_t* outLen) const;
 
+    const char* string8At(size_t idx, size_t* outLen) const;
+
     const ResStringPool_span* styleAt(const ResStringPool_ref& ref) const;
     const ResStringPool_span* styleAt(size_t idx) const;
 
diff --git a/libs/utils/ResourceTypes.cpp b/libs/utils/ResourceTypes.cpp
index e8bd5cf..38600b9 100644
--- a/libs/utils/ResourceTypes.cpp
+++ b/libs/utils/ResourceTypes.cpp
@@ -497,6 +497,34 @@
     return NULL;
 }
 
+const char* ResStringPool::string8At(size_t idx, size_t* outLen) const
+{
+    if (mError == NO_ERROR && idx < mHeader->stringCount) {
+        const bool isUTF8 = (mHeader->flags&ResStringPool_header::UTF8_FLAG) != 0;
+        const uint32_t off = mEntries[idx]/(isUTF8?sizeof(char):sizeof(char16_t));
+        if (off < (mStringPoolSize-1)) {
+            if (isUTF8) {
+                const uint8_t* strings = (uint8_t*)mStrings;
+                const uint8_t* str = strings+off;
+                DECODE_LENGTH(str, sizeof(uint8_t), *outLen)
+                size_t encLen;
+                DECODE_LENGTH(str, sizeof(uint8_t), encLen)
+                if ((uint32_t)(str+encLen-strings) < mStringPoolSize) {
+                    return (const char*)str;
+                } else {
+                    LOGW("Bad string block: string #%d extends to %d, past end at %d\n",
+                            (int)idx, (int)(str+encLen-strings), (int)mStringPoolSize);
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            LOGW("Bad string block: string #%d entry is at %d, past end at %d\n",
+                    (int)idx, (int)(off*sizeof(uint16_t)),
+                    (int)(mStringPoolSize*sizeof(uint16_t)));
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 const ResStringPool_span* ResStringPool::styleAt(const ResStringPool_ref& ref) const
 {
     return styleAt(ref.index);
@@ -4018,14 +4046,19 @@
         printf("(attribute) 0x%08x\n", value.data);
     } else if (value.dataType == Res_value::TYPE_STRING) {
         size_t len;
-        const char16_t* str = pkg->header->values.stringAt(
+        const char* str8 = pkg->header->values.string8At(
                 value.data, &len);
-        if (str == NULL) {
-            printf("(string) null\n");
+        if (str8 != NULL) {
+            printf("(string8) \"%s\"\n", str8);
         } else {
-            printf("(string%d) \"%s\"\n",
-                    pkg->header->values.isUTF8()?8:16,
-                    String8(str, len).string());
+            const char16_t* str16 = pkg->header->values.stringAt(
+                    value.data, &len);
+            if (str16 != NULL) {
+                printf("(string16) \"%s\"\n",
+                    String8(str16, len).string());
+            } else {
+                printf("(string) null\n");
+            }
         } 
     } else if (value.dataType == Res_value::TYPE_FLOAT) {
         printf("(float) %g\n", *(const float*)&value.data);
diff --git a/tools/aapt/StringPool.cpp b/tools/aapt/StringPool.cpp
index 51afc0a..a09cec0 100644
--- a/tools/aapt/StringPool.cpp
+++ b/tools/aapt/StringPool.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,12 @@
     const size_t NS = pool->size();
     for (size_t s=0; s<NS; s++) {
         size_t len;
-        printf("String #%ld: %s\n", s,
-                String8(pool->stringAt(s, &len)).string());
+        const char *str = (const char*)pool->string8At(s, &len);
+        if (str == NULL) {
+            str = String8(pool->stringAt(s, &len)).string();
+        }
+
+        printf("String #%ld: %s\n", s, str);
     }
 }