diff --git a/src/item.rs b/src/item.rs
index f11e1aba..d403dd89 100644
--- a/src/item.rs
+++ b/src/item.rs
@@ -82,11 +82,18 @@ impl RankBuilder {
         key
     }
 
-    /// Computes the byte offset of the first character after the last path separator
-    /// (`/` or `\`) in `text`.  Returns `0` when no separator is present.
+    /// Computes the **character** index of the first character after the last path
+    /// separator (`/` or `\`) in `text`.  Returns `0` when no separator is present.
+    ///
+    /// This must be a char index, not a byte offset: the `PathName` tiebreak
+    /// subtracts it from [`Rank::begin`], which is a char index, so counting bytes
+    /// here would mix units and mis-rank any path with a non-ASCII component.
     fn path_name_offset(text: &str) -> i32 {
-        text.rfind(['/', '\\'])
-            .map_or(0, |pos| i32::try_from(pos).unwrap_or(i32::MAX).saturating_add(1))
+        text.rfind(['/', '\\']).map_or(0, |pos| {
+            i32::try_from(text[..pos].chars().count())
+                .unwrap_or(i32::MAX)
+                .saturating_add(1)
+        })
     }
 
     /// Builds a `Rank` from raw match measurements.
diff --git a/src/item_tests.rs b/src/item_tests.rs
index f3fc147e..090c45fd 100644
--- a/src/item_tests.rs
+++ b/src/item_tests.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,33 @@ fn build_rank_records_offsets_and_pathname() {
     assert_eq!(rank.path_name_offset, i32::try_from("src/lib/".len()).unwrap());
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn path_name_offset_counts_chars_not_bytes() {
+    // `path_name_offset` is subtracted from `Rank::begin`, which is a char index,
+    // so a multi-byte directory component must not inflate it.
+    let rb = RankBuilder::default();
+    // "ééé/" is 4 chars but 7 bytes; the filename starts at char index 4.
+    let rank = rb.build_rank(0, 4, 5, "ééé/a");
+    assert_eq!(rank.path_name_offset, 4);
+
+    // With the match sitting on the filename, PathName must score it as 0 (best).
+    // A byte-based offset would give 7 - 4 = 3 and rank it below a plain match.
+    assert_eq!(rank.sort_key(&[RankCriteria::PathName])[0], 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn pathname_tiebreak_prefers_filename_match_with_non_ascii_dir() {
+    // "ééééé/a" matches in the filename (best), "a/xxxxx" matches in the dir part.
+    let rb = RankBuilder::new(vec![RankCriteria::PathName, RankCriteria::Index]);
+    let in_filename = MatchedItem::new(item("ééééé/a"), rb.build_rank(0, 6, 7, "ééééé/a"), None, &rb);
+    let in_dir = MatchedItem::new(item("a/xxxxx"), rb.build_rank(0, 0, 1, "a/xxxxx"), None, &rb);
+
+    assert!(
+        in_filename < in_dir,
+        "a filename match must outrank a directory match even when the directory is non-ASCII"
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn sort_key_flips_score_sign() {
     let rank = Rank {
diff --git a/tests/cli.rs b/tests/cli.rs
index 599bebfe..1731f711 100644
--- a/tests/cli.rs
+++ b/tests/cli.rs
@@ -183,6 +183,24 @@ fn nth_index_past_i32_does_not_fall_back_to_field_1() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn pathname_tiebreak_is_not_broken_by_a_non_ascii_directory() {
+    // `path_name_offset` used to be a byte offset while `Rank::begin` is a char
+    // index, so a multi-byte directory component inflated the PathName score and
+    // pushed the filename match below the directory match.
+    let (code, stdout, stderr) = run_sk_argv("ééééé/a\na/xxxxx\n", &["-f", "a", "--scheme", "path"], &[]);
+    assert_eq!(code, Some(0), "stderr: {stderr}");
+    assert_eq!(
+        stdout.lines().next(),
+        Some("ééééé/a"),
+        "the filename match must rank first, got: {stdout:?}"
+    );
+
+    // The all-ASCII shape of the same input already ranked correctly; both must agree.
+    let (_, ascii_stdout, _) = run_sk_argv("eeeee/a\na/xxxxx\n", &["-f", "a", "--scheme", "path"], &[]);
+    assert_eq!(ascii_stdout.lines().next(), Some("eeeee/a"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn select_1_with_output_format() {
     // --output-format renders the selected item through the printf branch.