diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/delegate.py b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/delegate.py
index 0c080b32a..e7ba03f98 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/delegate.py
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/delegate.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import turbogears
 from turbogears import validators, widgets
+from ipagui.helpers import ipahelper
 
 from ipagui.forms.user import UserFields
 
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ class DelegateForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(DelegateForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template(
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template(
                 "ipagui.templates.delegateform")
         self.delegate_fields = DelegateFields
 
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/group.py b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/group.py
index 0904d319f..4835e9168 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/group.py
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/group.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import turbogears
 from turbogears import validators, widgets
 from tg_expanding_form_widget.tg_expanding_form_widget import ExpandingForm
+from ipagui.helpers import ipahelper
 
 class GroupFields(object):
     cn = widgets.TextField(name="cn", label="Name")
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ class GroupNewForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(GroupNewForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template("ipagui.templates.groupnewform")
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template("ipagui.templates.groupnewform")
         self.group_fields = GroupFields
 
     def update_params(self, params):
@@ -80,5 +81,5 @@ class GroupEditForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(GroupEditForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template("ipagui.templates.groupeditform")
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template("ipagui.templates.groupeditform")
         self.group_fields = GroupFields
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/ipapolicy.py b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/ipapolicy.py
index 8d39fa402..7ad9fe083 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/ipapolicy.py
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/ipapolicy.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import turbogears
 from turbogears import validators, widgets
 from tg_expanding_form_widget.tg_expanding_form_widget import ExpandingForm
+from ipagui.helpers import ipahelper
 
 class IPAPolicyFields(object):
     # From cn=ipaConfig
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ class IPAPolicyForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(IPAPolicyForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template(
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template(
                 "ipagui.templates.ipapolicyeditform")
         self.ipapolicy_fields = IPAPolicyFields
 
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/principal.py b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/principal.py
index 6c1ac56a7..02c62f26a 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/principal.py
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/principal.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import turbogears
 from turbogears import validators, widgets
 from tg_expanding_form_widget.tg_expanding_form_widget import ExpandingForm
+from ipagui.helpers import ipahelper
 
 class PrincipalFields(object):
     hostname = widgets.TextField(name="hostname", label="Host Name")
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ class PrincipalNewForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(PrincipalNewForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template("ipagui.templates.principalnewform")
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template("ipagui.templates.principalnewform")
         self.principal_fields = PrincipalFields
 
     def update_params(self, params):
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/user.py b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/user.py
index 350283749..22a49653c 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/user.py
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/forms/user.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import turbogears
 from turbogears import validators, widgets
 from tg_expanding_form_widget.tg_expanding_form_widget import ExpandingForm
 from ipagui.helpers.validators import *
+from ipagui.helpers import ipahelper
 
 class UserFields(object):
     givenname = widgets.TextField(name="givenname", label="First Name")
@@ -120,7 +121,8 @@ class UserNewForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(UserNewForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template("ipagui.templates.usernewform")
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template("ipagui.templates.usernewform")
+
         self.user_fields = UserFields
 
     def update_params(self, params):
@@ -172,7 +174,8 @@ class UserEditForm(widgets.Form):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         super(UserEditForm,self).__init__(*args, **kw)
-        (self.template_c, self.template) = widgets.meta.load_kid_template("ipagui.templates.usereditform")
+        (self.template_c, self.template) = ipahelper.load_template("ipagui.templates.usereditform")
+
         self.user_fields = UserFields
 
 
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/helpers/ipahelper.py b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/helpers/ipahelper.py
index 4eb7644cf..9b3404837 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/helpers/ipahelper.py
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-gui/ipagui/helpers/ipahelper.py
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
 
 import re
 import logging
+import turbogears
+import kid
+from turbokid import kidsupport
+from pkg_resources import resource_filename
 
 def javascript_string_escape(input):
     """Escapes the ' " and \ characters in a string so
@@ -60,3 +64,25 @@ def fix_incoming_fields(fields, fieldname, multifieldname):
         logging.warn("fix_incoming_fields error: " + str(e))
 
     return fields
+
+def load_template(classname, encoding=None):
+    """
+    Loads the given template. This only handles .kid files.
+    Returns a tuple (compiled_tmpl, None) to emulate
+    turbogears.meta.load_kid_template() which ends up not properly handling
+    encoding.
+    """
+    if not encoding:
+        encoding = turbogears.config.get('kid.encoding', kidsupport.KidSupport.assume_encoding)
+    divider = classname.rfind(".")
+    package, basename = classname[:divider], classname[divider+1:]
+    file_path = resource_filename(package, basename + ".kid")
+
+    tclass = kid.load_template(
+        file_path,
+        name = classname,
+        ).Template
+    tclass.serializer = kid.HTMLSerializer(encoding=encoding)
+    tclass.assume_encoding=encoding
+
+    return (tclass, None)