diff --git a/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb b/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb
index 2fc5c8f..2aad8ab 100755
--- a/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb
+++ b/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb
@@ -93,7 +93,17 @@ def save_file(dir, name, data)
 	group = @config.keys[0]
 	if @config[group].has_key?("ASCIIFILENAMES") && @config[group]["ASCIIFILENAMES"]
 		require 'iconv'
-		nname = Iconv.conv("ASCII//TRANSLIT", "UTF-8", nname)
+		begin
+			nname = Iconv.conv("ASCII//TRANSLIT", "UTF-8", nname)
+		rescue Iconv::IllegalSequence
+			puts "Iconv couldn't handle: '#{nname}'"
+			nname.gsub!(/\\\d+/, "#")
+			nname.gsub!(/ä/, "\"a")
+			nname.gsub!(/ë/, "\"e")
+			nname.gsub!(/ï/, "\"i")
+			nname.gsub!(/ö/, "\"o")
+			nname.gsub!(/ü/, "\"u")
+		end
 		# shit that gets through...
 		nname.gsub!('#{146.chr}', "")
 	end