diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 53cc288..7a58b94 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/bugpb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
@@ -26,6 +27,19 @@ func (all *Repos) ConfigSave() error {
 	data, err := all.Marshal()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info("gitpb proto.Marshal() failed len", len(data), err)
+		// often this is because strings have invalid UTF-8. This should probably be fixed in the protobuf code
+		if err := all.tryValidate(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		} else {
+			// re-attempt Marshal() here
+			data, err = all.Marshal()
+			if err == nil {
+				// validate & sanitize strings worked
+				log.Info("gitpb.ConfigSave() repos.Marshal() worked len", len(all.Repos), "repos")
+				configWrite("repos.pb", data)
+				return nil
+			}
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	log.Info("gitpb.ConfigSave() repos.Marshal() worked len", len(all.Repos), "repos")
@@ -33,6 +47,20 @@ func (all *Repos) ConfigSave() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (all *Repos) tryValidate() error {
+
+	err := bugpb.ValidateProtoUTF8(all)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Protobuf UTF-8 validation failed: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	if err := bugpb.SanitizeProtoUTF8(all); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("Sanitation failed:", err)
+		// log.Fatalf("Sanitization failed: %v", err)
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // load the repos.pb file. I shouldn't really matter if this
 // fails. the file should be autogenerated. This is used
 // locally just for speed