diff --git a/grep/src/literals.rs b/grep/src/literals.rs
index d931f13..3e68d24 100644
--- a/grep/src/literals.rs
+++ b/grep/src/literals.rs
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ impl LiteralSets {
             debug!("required literals found: {:?}", req_lits);
             let alts: Vec<String> =
                 req_lits.into_iter().map(|x| bytes_to_regex(x)).collect();
-            Some(RegexBuilder::new(&alts.join("|")))
+            Some(RegexBuilder::new(&alts.join("|")).unicode(false))
         } else if lit.is_empty() {
             None
         } else {
             debug!("required literal found: {:?}", show(lit));
-            Some(RegexBuilder::new(&bytes_to_regex(lit)))
+            Some(RegexBuilder::new(&bytes_to_regex(&lit)).unicode(false))
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/grep/src/search.rs b/grep/src/search.rs
index 850c8d6..cf1a4c3 100644
--- a/grep/src/search.rs
+++ b/grep/src/search.rs
@@ -167,14 +167,13 @@ impl GrepBuilder {
     /// Creates a new regex from the given expression with the current
     /// configuration.
     fn regex(&self, expr: &Expr) -> Result<Regex> {
-        self.regex_build(RegexBuilder::new(&expr.to_string()))
+        self.regex_build(RegexBuilder::new(&expr.to_string()).unicode(true))
     }
 
     /// Builds a new regex from the given builder using the caller's settings.
     fn regex_build(&self, builder: RegexBuilder) -> Result<Regex> {
         builder
             .multi_line(true)
-            .unicode(true)
             .size_limit(self.opts.size_limit)
             .dfa_size_limit(self.opts.dfa_size_limit)
             .compile()
diff --git a/tests/tests.rs b/tests/tests.rs
index 5c152b9..876ee40 100644
--- a/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/tests/tests.rs
@@ -936,6 +936,15 @@ clean!(regression_229, "[E]conomie", ".", |wd: WorkDir, mut cmd: Command| {
     wd.assert_err(&mut cmd);
 });
 
+// See: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/issues/251
+clean!(regression_251, "привет", ".", |wd: WorkDir, mut cmd: Command| {
+    wd.create("foo", "привет\nПривет\nПрИвЕт");
+    cmd.arg("-i");
+
+    let lines: String = wd.stdout(&mut cmd);
+    assert_eq!(lines, "foo:привет\nfoo:Привет\nfoo:ПрИвЕт\n");
+});
+
 // See: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/issues/7
 sherlock!(feature_7, "-fpat", "sherlock", |wd: WorkDir, mut cmd: Command| {
     wd.create("pat", "Sherlock\nHolmes");