diff --git a/library/smarty/libs/plugins/shared.mb_unicode.php b/library/smarty/libs/plugins/shared.mb_unicode.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/smarty/libs/plugins/shared.mb_unicode.php
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Smarty shared plugin
+ *
+ * @package    Smarty
+ * @subpackage PluginsShared
+ */
+
+/**
+ * convert characters to their decimal unicode equivalents
+ *
+ * @link   http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/os-php-unicode/index.html#listing3 for inspiration
+ *
+ * @param string $string characters to calculate unicode of
+ * @param string $encoding encoding of $string, if null mb_internal_encoding() is used
+ *
+ * @return array sequence of unicodes
+ * @author Rodney Rehm
+ */
+function smarty_mb_to_unicode($string, $encoding = null) {
+    if ($encoding) {
+        $expanded = mb_convert_encoding($string, "UTF-32BE", $encoding);
+    } else {
+        $expanded = mb_convert_encoding($string, "UTF-32BE");
+    }
+
+    return unpack("N*", $expanded);
+}
+
+/**
+ * convert unicodes to the character of given encoding
+ *
+ * @link   http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/os-php-unicode/index.html#listing3 for inspiration
+ *
+ * @param integer|array $unicode single unicode or list of unicodes to convert
+ * @param string $encoding encoding of returned string, if null mb_internal_encoding() is used
+ *
+ * @return string unicode as character sequence in given $encoding
+ * @author Rodney Rehm
+ */
+function smarty_mb_from_unicode($unicode, $encoding = null) {
+    $t = '';
+    if (!$encoding) {
+        $encoding = mb_internal_encoding();
+    }
+    foreach ((array)$unicode as $utf32be) {
+        $character = pack("N*", $utf32be);
+        $t .= mb_convert_encoding($character, $encoding, "UTF-32BE");
+    }
+
+    return $t;
+}