diff --git a/components/xdev_toolkit/HelpUtil.pas b/components/xdev_toolkit/HelpUtil.pas
index 3936d9531..82d5ae577 100644
--- a/components/xdev_toolkit/HelpUtil.pas
+++ b/components/xdev_toolkit/HelpUtil.pas
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ begin
     Result := shrSuccess;
  {$ELSE}  
   {$IFDEF DARWIN} 
-    if Shell('Open -a "HelpViewer" "' + Application.HelpFile + '"') = 127 then
+    if fpSystem('Open -a "HelpViewer" "' + Application.HelpFile + '"') = 127 then
 //     Note: Renamed from Help Viewer.app to HelpViewer.app with 10.5.
 //
 //     Note: With OS X earlier than 10.4 (Tiger), if connected to network 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ begin
   {$ELSE}  {For now, shell to first browser found, passing help file name}  
     if GetBrowserPath <> '' then  {Found a browser?}
       begin
-      if Shell(GetBrowserPath + ' ' + Application.HelpFile) = 127 then
+      if fpSystem(GetBrowserPath + ' ' + Application.HelpFile) = 127 then
         Result := shrViewerError
       else
         Result := shrSuccess;
diff --git a/components/xdev_toolkit/PropListUtil.pas b/components/xdev_toolkit/PropListUtil.pas
index 1334abc81..05bccae5e 100644
--- a/components/xdev_toolkit/PropListUtil.pas
+++ b/components/xdev_toolkit/PropListUtil.pas
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ begin
   if not Assigned(Value) then  {Key not found?}
     Exit;
   if CFGetTypeID(Value) = CFStringGetTypeID then  {Value is a string?}
-    Result := CFStrToAnsiStr(Value);
+    Result := CFStrToAnsiStr(Value, kCFStringEncodingUTF8);  //will always be UTF8
 end;
 
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ begin
     ValueRef := CFBundleGetValueForInfoDictionaryKey(BundleRef, KeyRef);
     if CFGetTypeID(ValueRef) <> CFStringGetTypeID then  {Value not a string?}
       Exit;
-    Result := CFStrToAnsiStr(ValueRef);
+    Result := CFStrToAnsiStr(ValueRef, kCFStringEncodingUTF8);  //will always be UTF8
   finally
     FreeCFRef(KeyRef);
     end;