diff --git a/Python/codecs.c b/Python/codecs.c
index 3aa1f38..1ba6009 100644
--- a/Python/codecs.c
+++ b/Python/codecs.c
@@ -319,6 +319,23 @@
     PyObject *args = NULL, *result = NULL;
     PyObject *v;
 
+    /* XXX short-cut a few common file system 
+       encodings for now, as otherwise the import
+       code can't load the codec registry. */
+    if (strcmp(encoding, "utf-8") == 0 && PyUnicode_Check(object)) {
+	return PyUnicode_EncodeUTF8(PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(object),
+				    PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(object),
+				    errors);
+    }
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) && defined(HAVE_USABLE_WCHAR_T)
+    if (strcmp(encoding, "mbcs") == 0 && PyUnicode_Check(object)) {
+	return PyUnicode_EncodeMBCS(PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(object),
+				    PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(object),
+				    errors);
+    }
+#endif
+
+
     encoder = PyCodec_Encoder(encoding);
     if (encoder == NULL)
 	goto onError;