diff --git a/moo/configure b/moo/configure
index 1be8dc4..8abe074 100755
--- a/moo/configure
+++ b/moo/configure
@@ -848,6 +848,7 @@ with_ltdl_include
 with_ltdl_lib
 enable_ltdl_install
 enable_debug
+enable_unicode
 enable_cxx
 enable_dynamic_module
 enable_static_module
@@ -1502,6 +1503,8 @@ Optional Features:
   --disable-libtool-lock  avoid locking (might break parallel builds)
   --enable-ltdl-install   install libltdl
   --enable-debug          build the library in the debug mode (default. no)
+  --enable-unicode        Use the unicode character type as the default
+                          character type (default. yes)
   --enable-cxx            build the library for C++ if a C++ compiler is
                           available (default. yes)
   --enable-dynamic-module enable dynamic module capability(default. yes)
@@ -22518,6 +22521,22 @@ $as_echo "#define MOO_BUILD_RELEASE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
 
+
+# Check whether --enable-unicode was given.
+if test "${enable_unicode+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_unicode; enable_unicode=$enableval
+else
+  enable_unicode=yes
+
+fi
+
+if test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes"
+then
+
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_UNICODE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+fi
+
 # Check whether --enable-cxx was given.
 if test "${enable_cxx+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_cxx; enable_cxx_is=$enableval
@@ -22526,7 +22545,6 @@ else
 
 fi
 
-
 test "${HAVE_CXX}" = "yes" || enable_cxx_is="no"
 test "${ax_cv_cxx_have_std_namespace}" = "yes" || enable_cxx_is="no"
 
@@ -22552,7 +22570,7 @@ test "${enable_shared}" = "no" && enable_dynamic_module_is="no"
 if test "${enable_dynamic_module_is}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_MODULE /**/" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_MODULE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
  if test "${enable_dynamic_module_is}" = "yes"; then
@@ -22577,7 +22595,7 @@ test "${enable_shared}" = "no" -a "${enable_static}" = "yes" && enable_static_mo
 if test "${enable_static_module_is}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_STATIC_MODULE /**/" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_STATIC_MODULE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
  if test "${enable_static_module_is}" = "yes"; then
@@ -22623,7 +22641,7 @@ fi
 if test "${enable_mod_con_is}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_CON /**/" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_CON 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
  if test "${enable_mod_con_is}" = "yes"; then
@@ -22646,7 +22664,7 @@ fi
 if test "${enable_mod_ffi_is}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_FFI /**/" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_FFI 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
  if test "${enable_mod_ffi_is}" = "yes"; then
@@ -22669,7 +22687,7 @@ fi
 if test "${enable_mod_sck_is}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_SCK /**/" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_SCK 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
  if test "${enable_mod_sck_is}" = "yes"; then
@@ -22692,7 +22710,7 @@ fi
 if test "${enable_mod_x11_is}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_X11 /**/" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define MOO_ENABLE_MOD_X11 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
  if test "${enable_mod_x11_is}" = "yes"; then
diff --git a/moo/configure.ac b/moo/configure.ac
index 30f699c..1fd2036 100644
--- a/moo/configure.ac
+++ b/moo/configure.ac
@@ -628,8 +628,10 @@ AC_C_BIGENDIAN(
 	[AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENDIAN_LITTLE],[],[Little Endian])],
 	[AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENDIAN_UNKNOWN],[],[Unknown Endian])])
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug], [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug],[build the library in the debug mode (default. no)])],
-	enable_debug_is=$enableval,enable_debug_is=no)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug], 
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug],[build the library in the debug mode (default. no)])],
+	enable_debug_is=$enableval,
+	enable_debug_is=no)
 if test "$enable_debug_is" = "yes"
 then
 	[CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -g -D_DEBUG -UNDEBUG -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE"]
@@ -643,12 +645,22 @@ else
 	AC_SUBST(BUILD_MODE, "release")
 fi
 
+
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([unicode],
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-unicode],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type (default. yes)])],
+	enable_unicode=$enableval,
+	enable_unicode=yes
+)
+if test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes"
+then
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_UNICODE],[1],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])
+fi
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([cxx], 
 	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-cxx],[build the library for C++ if a C++ compiler is available (default. yes)])],
 	enable_cxx_is=$enableval,
 	enable_cxx_is=yes
 )
-
 dnl disable c++ if no c++ compiler was found
 test "${HAVE_CXX}" = "yes" || enable_cxx_is="no"
 dnl disable c++ if the compiler is too old.
@@ -666,7 +678,7 @@ test "${enable_shared}" = "no" && enable_dynamic_module_is="no"
 
 if test "${enable_dynamic_module_is}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_MODULE],[],[enable dynamic module capability])
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_MODULE],[1],[enable dynamic module capability])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_DYNAMIC_MODULE, test "${enable_dynamic_module_is}" = "yes")
 
@@ -680,7 +692,7 @@ test "${enable_shared}" = "no" -a "${enable_static}" = "yes" && enable_static_mo
 
 if test "${enable_static_module_is}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_STATIC_MODULE],[],[link modules statically into the main library])
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_STATIC_MODULE],[1],[link modules statically into the main library])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_STATIC_MODULE, test "${enable_static_module_is}" = "yes")
 
@@ -704,7 +716,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([mod-con],
 )
 if test "${enable_mod_con_is}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_CON],[],[build mod/con])
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_CON],[1],[build mod/con])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MOD_CON, test "${enable_mod_con_is}" = "yes")
 
@@ -716,7 +728,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([mod-ffi],
 )
 if test "${enable_mod_ffi_is}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_FFI],[],[build mod/ffi])
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_FFI],[1],[build mod/ffi])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MOD_FFI, test "${enable_mod_ffi_is}" = "yes")
 
@@ -728,7 +740,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([mod-sck],
 )
 if test "${enable_mod_sck_is}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_SCK],[],[build mod/sck])
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_SCK],[1],[build mod/sck])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MOD_SCK, test "${enable_mod_sck_is}" = "yes")
 
@@ -740,7 +752,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([mod-x11],
 )
 if test "${enable_mod_x11_is}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_X11],[],[build mod/x11])
+	AC_DEFINE([MOO_ENABLE_MOD_X11],[1],[build mod/x11])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MOD_X11, test "${enable_mod_x11_is}" = "yes")
 
diff --git a/moo/lib/moo-cfg.h.in b/moo/lib/moo-cfg.h.in
index 3f2d9c4..ab74a1e 100644
--- a/moo/lib/moo-cfg.h.in
+++ b/moo/lib/moo-cfg.h.in
@@ -413,6 +413,9 @@
 /* link modules statically into the main library */
 #undef MOO_ENABLE_STATIC_MODULE
 
+/* Use the unicode character type as the default character type */
+#undef MOO_ENABLE_UNICODE
+
 /* Big Endian */
 #undef MOO_ENDIAN_BIG
 
diff --git a/moo/lib/moo-cmn.h b/moo/lib/moo-cmn.h
index 0f2f2fc..06c11df 100644
--- a/moo/lib/moo-cmn.h
+++ b/moo/lib/moo-cmn.h
@@ -318,20 +318,18 @@ struct moo_bcs_t
 };
 typedef struct moo_bcs_t moo_bcs_t;
 
-
-#if 0
-	typedef moo_bch_t               moo_ooch_t;
-	typedef moo_bci_t               moo_ooci_t;
-	typedef moo_bcs_t               moo_oocs_t;
-#	define MOO_OOCH_IS_BCH
-#else
+#if defined(MOO_ENABLE_UNICODE)
 	typedef moo_uch_t               moo_ooch_t;
 	typedef moo_uci_t               moo_ooci_t;
 	typedef moo_ucs_t               moo_oocs_t;
 #	define MOO_OOCH_IS_UCH
+#else
+	typedef moo_bch_t               moo_ooch_t;
+	typedef moo_bci_t               moo_ooci_t;
+	typedef moo_bcs_t               moo_oocs_t;
+#	define MOO_OOCH_IS_BCH
 #endif
 
-
 /* =========================================================================
  * TIME-RELATED TYPES
  * =========================================================================*/
diff --git a/moo/lib/moo.h b/moo/lib/moo.h
index bbd0239..db54bf5 100644
--- a/moo/lib/moo.h
+++ b/moo/lib/moo.h
@@ -1203,7 +1203,6 @@ struct moo_t
 		int default_type_mask;
 	} log;
 
-
 	/* ========================= */
 
 	moo_heap_t* permheap; /* TODO: put kernel objects to here */