diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 17cdbba448..cbfbd4a711 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Fri Jan 18 00:03:54 2008  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu@ruby-lang.org>
+
+	* ext/stringio/stringio.c (strio_init): use default external encoding
+	  if nothing is given.  a patch from sheepman <sheepman AT
+	  sheepman.sakura.ne.jp> in [ruby-dev:33159].
+
 Thu Jan 17 23:56:20 2008  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu@ruby-lang.org>
 
 	* common.mk (encdb.h): give output file name to make_encdb.rb.
diff --git a/ext/stringio/stringio.c b/ext/stringio/stringio.c
index 8aff363b33..6b867084df 100644
--- a/ext/stringio/stringio.c
+++ b/ext/stringio/stringio.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ strio_init(int argc, VALUE *argv, struct StringIO *ptr)
 	ptr->flags = OBJ_FROZEN(string) ? FMODE_READABLE : FMODE_READWRITE;
 	break;
       case 0:
-	string = rb_str_new("", 0);
+	string = rb_enc_str_new("", 0, rb_default_external_encoding());
 	ptr->flags = FMODE_READWRITE;
 	break;
     }
diff --git a/version.h b/version.h
index 104c1a7218..e55ff401c3 100644
--- a/version.h
+++ b/version.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #define RUBY_VERSION "1.9.0"
-#define RUBY_RELEASE_DATE "2008-01-16"
+#define RUBY_RELEASE_DATE "2008-01-18"
 #define RUBY_VERSION_CODE 190
-#define RUBY_RELEASE_CODE 20080116
+#define RUBY_RELEASE_CODE 20080118
 #define RUBY_PATCHLEVEL 0
 
 #define RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR 1
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #define RUBY_VERSION_TEENY 0
 #define RUBY_RELEASE_YEAR 2008
 #define RUBY_RELEASE_MONTH 1
-#define RUBY_RELEASE_DAY 16
+#define RUBY_RELEASE_DAY 18
 
 #ifdef RUBY_EXTERN
 RUBY_EXTERN const char ruby_version[];