diff --git a/libr/core/cconfig.c b/libr/core/cconfig.c
index 082af2e724..9fbfb83b65 100644
--- a/libr/core/cconfig.c
+++ b/libr/core/cconfig.c
@@ -3366,7 +3366,7 @@ R_API int r_core_config_init(RCore *core) {
 	SETBPREF ("prj.simple", "false", "Use simple project saving style (functions, comments, options)");
 
 	/* cfg */
-	SETCB ("cfg.charset", "", &cb_cfgcharset, "Specify encoding to use in pse");
+	SETCB ("cfg.charset", "", &cb_cfgcharset, "Specify encoding to use when printing strings");
 	SETBPREF ("cfg.r2wars", "false", "Enable some tweaks for the r2wars game");
 	SETBPREF ("cfg.plugins", "true", "Load plugins at startup");
 	SETCB ("time.fmt", "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z", &cb_cfgdatefmt, "Date format (%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z)");
diff --git a/libr/core/cmd_print.c b/libr/core/cmd_print.c
index ff8ef55e67..e0b386f93b 100644
--- a/libr/core/cmd_print.c
+++ b/libr/core/cmd_print.c
@@ -5770,9 +5770,30 @@ l = use_blocksize;
 				}
 			}
 			break;
-		case ' ': // "ps"
-			r_print_string (core->print, core->offset, core->block, l, 0);
+        case ' ': // "ps"
+		{
+			const char *current_charset = r_config_get (core->config, "cfg.charset");
+			if (R_STR_ISEMPTY (current_charset)) {
+				r_print_string (core->print, core->offset, core->block, l, 0);
+			} else {
+				if (len > 0) {
+					size_t out_len = len * 10;
+					ut8 *out = calloc (len, 10);
+					if (out) {
+						ut8 *data = malloc (len);
+						if (data) {
+							r_io_read_at (core->io, core->offset, data, len);
+							r_charset_encode_str (core->print->charset, out, out_len, data, len);
+							r_print_string (core->print, core->offset,
+								out, len, 0);
+							free (data);
+						}
+						free (out);
+					}
+				}
+			}
 			break;
+		}
 		case 'u': // "psu"
 			if (l > 0) {
 				bool json = input[2] == 'j'; // "psuj"
@@ -5840,30 +5861,30 @@ l = use_blocksize;
 				}
 			}
 			break;
-		case 'e': // "pse"
-			// should be done in `ps` when cfg.charset is set
-			if (len > 0) {
-				size_t out_len = len * 10;
-				ut8 *out = calloc (len, 10);
-				if (out) {
-					ut8 *data = malloc (len);
-					if (data) {
-						r_io_read_at (core->io, core->offset, data, len);
-						r_charset_encode_str (core->print->charset, out, out_len, data, len);
-						r_print_string (core->print, core->offset,
-							out, len, R_PRINT_STRING_ZEROEND);
-						free (data);
+		default: // "ps"
+			{
+				const char *current_charset = r_config_get (core->config, "cfg.charset");
+				if (R_STR_ISEMPTY (current_charset)) {
+					r_print_string (core->print, core->offset, core->block, len, R_PRINT_STRING_ZEROEND);
+				} else {
+					if (len > 0) {
+						size_t out_len = len * 10;
+						ut8 *out = calloc (len, 10);
+						if (out) {
+							ut8 *data = malloc (len);
+							if (data) {
+								r_io_read_at (core->io, core->offset, data, len);
+								r_charset_encode_str (core->print->charset, out, out_len, data, len);
+								r_print_string (core->print, core->offset,
+									out, len, R_PRINT_STRING_ZEROEND);
+								free (data);
+							}
+							free (out);
+						}
 					}
-					free (out);
 				}
+				break;
 			}
-			break;
-		default:
-			if (l > 0) {
-				r_print_string (core->print, core->offset, core->block,
-					len, R_PRINT_STRING_ZEROEND);
-			}
-			break;
 		}
 		break;
 	case 'm': // "pm"
diff --git a/test/db/cmd/charset b/test/db/cmd/charset
index 2e3db8ef0f..0528d2ea7b 100644
--- a/test/db/cmd/charset
+++ b/test/db/cmd/charset
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-NAME=pse
+NAME=e cfg.charset
 FILE=-
 CMDS=<<EOF
 e cfg.charset=?
 b 32
 wx a6b1aeb4ada37fb3ae7fafb1aeb3a4a2b349a8b3b2a4aba57fa5b1aeac7fa8b3
-pse
+ps
 e cfg.charset=pokered
-pse
+ps
 EOF
 EXPECT=<<EOF
 pokered
@@ -15,3 +15,39 @@ ground-to-protect?itself-from-it
 EOF
 RUN
 
+NAME=ps and psz
+FILE=-
+CMDS=<<EOF
+e cfg.charset=?
+b 32
+wx 7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f92a4aba5e3b1a4afaba8a2a0b3a8ada67f7f7f7fa0b1a1a8b3b1a0b1b87fa2aea3a47f7f7f7f7f7fa1b87f8cb182a7a4a4b9a47f9c9b7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f
+e cfg.charset=pokered
+ps $b
+ps  # should be the same as ps $b but its not
+psz
+e cfg.charset=
+ps $b
+psz
+EOF
+EXPECT=<<EOF
+pokered
+--------Self-replicating----arbi
+--------Self-replicating----arbi
+
+--------Self-replicating----arbi
+
+EOF
+RUN
+
+NAME=ps and psz with write
+FILE=-
+CMDS=<<EOF
+wx 7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f92a4aba5e3b1a4afaba8a2a0b3a8ada67f7f7f7fa0b1a1a8b3b1a0b1b87fa2aea3a47f7f7f7f7f7fa1b87f8cb182a7a4a4b9a47f9c9b7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f
+e cfg.charset=pokered
+"w hello-world\x00this-is-very-new"
+ps 28
+EOF
+EXPECT=<<EOF
+????????????????????????????
+EOF
+RUN
\ No newline at end of file