diff --git a/Web/Cookie.hs b/Web/Cookie.hs
--- a/Web/Cookie.hs
+++ b/Web/Cookie.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
     , Cookies
     , parseCookies
     , renderCookies
+      -- ** UTF8 Version
+    , CookiesText
+    , parseCookiesText
+    , renderCookiesText
       -- * Expires field
     , expiresFormat
     , formatCookieExpires
@@ -24,19 +28,33 @@
 import Data.Time (UTCTime, formatTime, parseTime)
 import System.Locale (defaultTimeLocale)
 import Control.Arrow (first)
+import Data.Text (Text)
+import Data.Text.Encoding (encodeUtf8, decodeUtf8With)
+import Data.Text.Encoding.Error (lenientDecode)
+import Control.Arrow ((***))
 
+-- | Textual cookies. Functions assume UTF8 encoding.
+type CookiesText = [(Text, Text)]
+
+parseCookiesText :: S.ByteString -> CookiesText
+parseCookiesText =
+    map (go *** go) . parseCookies
+  where
+    go = decodeUtf8With lenientDecode
+
+-- FIXME to speed things up, skip encodeUtf8 and use fromText instead
+renderCookiesText :: CookiesText -> Builder
+renderCookiesText = renderCookies . map (encodeUtf8 *** encodeUtf8)
+
 type Cookies = [(S.ByteString, S.ByteString)]
 
 -- | Decode the value of a \"Cookie\" request header into key/value pairs.
 parseCookies :: S.ByteString -> Cookies
-parseCookies = parseCookiesBS
-
-parseCookiesBS :: S.ByteString -> Cookies
-parseCookiesBS s
+parseCookies s
   | S.null s = []
   | otherwise =
     let (x, y) = breakDiscard 59 s -- semicolon
-     in parseCookie x : parseCookiesBS y
+     in parseCookie x : parseCookies y
 
 parseCookie :: S.ByteString -> (S.ByteString, S.ByteString)
 parseCookie s =
diff --git a/cookie.cabal b/cookie.cabal
--- a/cookie.cabal
+++ b/cookie.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            cookie
-version:         0.2.0
+version:         0.2.1
 license:         BSD3
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Michael Snoyman <michael@snoyman.com>
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
                    , blaze-builder             >= 0.2.1    && < 0.4
                    , old-locale                >= 1        && < 1.1
                    , time                      >= 1.1.4    && < 1.3
+                   , text                      >= 0.7      && < 1.0
     exposed-modules: Web.Cookie
     ghc-options:     -Wall