diff --git a/src/arch/x86/acpigen.c b/src/arch/x86/acpigen.c
index cc724a0cc1..493131eda1 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/acpigen.c
+++ b/src/arch/x86/acpigen.c
@@ -199,6 +199,21 @@ void acpigen_write_name_string(const char *name, const char *string)
 	acpigen_write_string(string);
 }
 
+void acpigen_write_name_unicode(const char *name, const char *string)
+{
+	const size_t len = strlen(string) + 1;
+	acpigen_write_name(name);
+	acpigen_emit_byte(BUFFER_OP);
+	acpigen_write_len_f();
+	acpigen_write_integer(len);
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+		const char c = string[i];
+		/* Simple ASCII to UTF-16 conversion, replace non ASCII characters */
+		acpigen_emit_word(c >= 0 ? c : '?');
+	}
+	acpigen_pop_len();
+}
+
 void acpigen_emit_stream(const char *data, int size)
 {
 	int i;
diff --git a/src/arch/x86/include/arch/acpigen.h b/src/arch/x86/include/arch/acpigen.h
index 11fe232272..c9a648505c 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/include/arch/acpigen.h
+++ b/src/arch/x86/include/arch/acpigen.h
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ void acpigen_write_dword(unsigned int data);
 void acpigen_write_qword(uint64_t data);
 void acpigen_write_integer(uint64_t data);
 void acpigen_write_string(const char *string);
+void acpigen_write_name_unicode(const char *name, const char *string);
 void acpigen_write_name(const char *name);
 void acpigen_write_name_zero(const char *name);
 void acpigen_write_name_one(const char *name);
diff --git a/src/drivers/ipmi/ipmi_kcs_ops.c b/src/drivers/ipmi/ipmi_kcs_ops.c
index 5cb8995df9..e0fa1b0120 100644
--- a/src/drivers/ipmi/ipmi_kcs_ops.c
+++ b/src/drivers/ipmi/ipmi_kcs_ops.c
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ static void ipmi_ssdt(struct device *dev)
 	acpigen_write_scope(scope);
 	acpigen_write_device("SPMI");
 	acpigen_write_name_string("_HID", "IPI0001");
-	acpigen_write_name_string("_STR", "IPMI_KCS");
+	acpigen_write_name_unicode("_STR", "IPMI_KCS");
 	acpigen_write_name_byte("_UID", dev->command);
 	acpigen_write_STA(0xf);
 	acpigen_write_name("_CRS");