diff --git a/python-pmw-PmwMenuBar.py.patch b/python-pmw-PmwMenuBar.py.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..612b248
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python-pmw-PmwMenuBar.py.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+--- Pmw.1.3.2/src/Pmw/Pmw_1_3/lib/PmwMenuBar.py.debug	2007-08-08 04:55:54.000000000 +0900
++++ Pmw.1.3.2/src/Pmw/Pmw_1_3/lib/PmwMenuBar.py	2009-05-13 18:59:22.000000000 +0900
+@@ -187,7 +187,9 @@
+                     menubutton = self.component(menuName + '-button')
+                     underline = string.atoi(str(menubutton.cget('underline')))
+                     if underline != -1:
+-                        label = str(menubutton.cget(textKey))
++                        label = menubutton.cget(textKey)
++                        if type(label) != types.UnicodeType:
++                            label = str(label)
+                         if underline < len(label):
+                             hotkey = string.lower(label[underline])
+                             if hotkey not in hotkeyList:
+@@ -201,7 +203,9 @@
+                         underline = string.atoi(
+                             str(menu.entrycget(item, 'underline')))
+                         if underline != -1:
+-                            label = str(menu.entrycget(item, textKey))
++                            label = menu.entrycget(item, textKey)
++                            if type(label) != types.UnicodeType:
++                                label = str(label)
+                             if underline < len(label):
+                                 hotkey = string.lower(label[underline])
+                                 if hotkey not in hotkeyList:
diff --git a/python-pmw.spec b/python-pmw.spec
index a1b75f5..af10692 100644
--- a/python-pmw.spec
+++ b/python-pmw.spec
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 Summary: Python powerwidgets
 Name: python-pmw
 Version: 1.3.2
-Release: 7%{?dist}
+Release: 8%{?dist}
 License: MIT and GPLv2+
 Group: Development/Libraries
 URL: http://pmw.sourceforge.net/
 Source: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/pmw/Pmw.%{version}.tar.gz
+Patch0: python-pmw-PmwMenuBar.py.patch
 BuildRoot: %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-root-%(%{__id_u} -n)
 BuildRequires: python-setuptools-devel
 Requires: tkinter
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ widgets, paned widgets, scrolled widgets and dialog windows.
 
 %prep
 %setup -q -n Pmw.%{version}
+%patch0 -p1
 
 %build
 cd src
@@ -47,6 +49,9 @@ rm -rf %{buildroot}
 %{python_sitelib}/Pmw
 
 %changelog
+* Wed May 13 2009 Tim Fenn <fenn@stanford.edu> - 1.3.2-8
+- patch for unicode menus (Mamoru Tasaka), bug ID 500459
+
 * Thu Feb 26 2009 Fedora Release Engineering <rel-eng@lists.fedoraproject.org> - 1.3.2-7
 - Rebuilt for https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_11_Mass_Rebuild