diff --git a/src/cargo/core/shell.rs b/src/cargo/core/shell.rs
index f35fa1483ff9..1e75174dbe38 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/shell.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/shell.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ use crate::util::errors::CargoResult;
 use crate::util::hostname;
 use crate::util::style::*;
 
+pub use crate::util::config::Charset;
+
 pub enum TtyWidth {
     NoTty,
     Known(usize),
@@ -39,34 +41,6 @@ impl TtyWidth {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
-pub enum Charset {
-    Utf8,
-    Ascii,
-}
-
-impl Charset {
-    fn auto_with(stream: &dyn IsTerminal) -> Self {
-        if !stream.is_terminal() || supports_unicode::supports_unicode() {
-            Self::Utf8
-        } else {
-            Self::Ascii
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl std::str::FromStr for Charset {
-    type Err = &'static str;
-
-    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Charset, &'static str> {
-        match s {
-            "utf8" => Ok(Charset::Utf8),
-            "ascii" => Ok(Charset::Ascii),
-            _ => Err("invalid charset"),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 /// The requested verbosity of output.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Verbosity {
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/config/mod.rs b/src/cargo/util/config/mod.rs
index 0e161ba8af4e..07bc84663448 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/config/mod.rs
@@ -1055,6 +1055,9 @@ impl Config {
         if let Some(hyperlinks) = term.hyperlinks {
             self.shell().set_hyperlinks(hyperlinks)?;
         }
+        if let Some(charset) = term.charset {
+            self.shell().set_charset(charset)?;
+        }
         self.progress_config = term.progress.unwrap_or_default();
         self.extra_verbose = extra_verbose;
         self.frozen = frozen;
@@ -2605,11 +2608,53 @@ struct TermConfig {
     quiet: Option<bool>,
     color: Option<String>,
     hyperlinks: Option<bool>,
+    charset: Option<Charset>,
     #[serde(default)]
     #[serde(deserialize_with = "progress_or_string")]
     progress: Option<ProgressConfig>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
+pub enum Charset {
+    Utf8,
+    Ascii,
+}
+
+impl Charset {
+    pub fn auto_with(stream: &dyn std::io::IsTerminal) -> Self {
+        if !stream.is_terminal() || supports_unicode::supports_unicode() {
+            Self::Utf8
+        } else {
+            Self::Ascii
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::str::FromStr for Charset {
+    type Err = &'static str;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Charset, &'static str> {
+        match s {
+            "utf8" => Ok(Charset::Utf8),
+            "ascii" => Ok(Charset::Ascii),
+            _ => Err("invalid charset"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Charset {
+    fn deserialize<D>(d: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: serde::de::Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        use serde::de::Error as _;
+        UntaggedEnumVisitor::new()
+            .expecting("a charset")
+            .string(|value| value.parse().map_err(serde_untagged::de::Error::custom))
+            .deserialize(d)
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ProgressConfig {
     pub when: ProgressWhen,
diff --git a/src/doc/src/reference/config.md b/src/doc/src/reference/config.md
index 25e17ac907f6..c34135c8cb4a 100644
--- a/src/doc/src/reference/config.md
+++ b/src/doc/src/reference/config.md
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ quiet = false          # whether cargo output is quiet
 verbose = false        # whether cargo provides verbose output
 color = 'auto'         # whether cargo colorizes output
 hyperlinks = true      # whether cargo inserts links into output
+charset = "utf8"       # what cargo is limited to in rendering output
 progress.when = 'auto' # whether cargo shows progress bar
 progress.width = 80    # width of progress bar
 ```
@@ -1279,6 +1280,16 @@ Can be overridden with the `--color` command-line option.
 
 Controls whether or not hyperlinks are used in the terminal.
 
+#### `term.charset`
+* Type: string
+* Default: auto-detect
+* Environment: `CARGO_TERM_CHARSET`
+
+Sets what characters can be used when rendering cargo output.  Possible values:
+
+* `utf8`: Use the full set of UTF-8 characters for drawing
+* `ascii`: Only use 7-bit ASCII characters for drawing
+
 #### `term.progress.when`
 * Type: string
 * Default: "auto"
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/tree.rs b/tests/testsuite/tree.rs
index 16cc37f7e56c..9abf792b561d 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/tree.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/tree.rs
@@ -1139,7 +1139,7 @@ dupe-dep v2.0.0
 }
 
 #[cargo_test]
-fn charset() {
+fn charset_cli() {
     let p = make_simple_proj();
     p.cargo("tree --charset ascii")
         .with_stdout(
@@ -1160,6 +1160,52 @@ foo v0.1.0 ([..]/foo)
         .run();
 }
 
+#[cargo_test]
+fn charset_config() {
+    let p = make_simple_proj();
+    p.cargo("tree")
+        .env("CARGO_TERM_CHARSET", "ascii")
+        .with_stdout(
+            "\
+foo v0.1.0 ([..]/foo)
+|-- a v1.0.0
+|   `-- b v1.0.0
+|       `-- c v1.0.0
+`-- c v1.0.0
+[build-dependencies]
+`-- bdep v1.0.0
+    `-- b v1.0.0 (*)
+[dev-dependencies]
+`-- devdep v1.0.0
+    `-- b v1.0.0 (*)
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn charset_cli_preferred_over_config() {
+    let p = make_simple_proj();
+    p.cargo("tree --charset ascii")
+        .env("CARGO_TERM_CHARSET", "unicode")
+        .with_stdout(
+            "\
+foo v0.1.0 ([..]/foo)
+|-- a v1.0.0
+|   `-- b v1.0.0
+|       `-- c v1.0.0
+`-- c v1.0.0
+[build-dependencies]
+`-- bdep v1.0.0
+    `-- b v1.0.0 (*)
+[dev-dependencies]
+`-- devdep v1.0.0
+    `-- b v1.0.0 (*)
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
 #[cargo_test]
 fn format() {
     Package::new("dep", "1.0.0").publish();