diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index aaeef61..d617446 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     * added \special{dvipdfmx:config C 0x10} to the xetex and
     dvipdfmx driver to avoid problems with links to external files.
       See issue 118.
+    * if platex is detected unicode is set to false, issue #171  
 
 
 2021-02-08 Ulrike Fischer/David Carlisle
diff --git a/hyperref.dtx b/hyperref.dtx
index bb850c7..d4fce6f 100644
--- a/hyperref.dtx
+++ b/hyperref.dtx
@@ -883,6 +883,12 @@
 \Hy@pdftoolbartrue
 \Hy@typexmlfalse
 \Hy@unicodetrue
+\ifx\kanjiskip\@undefined
+\else
+  \ifx\forcecjktoken\@undefined
+   \Hy@unicodefalse
+  \fi
+\fi
 \Hy@pdfusetitlefalse
 \Hy@verbosefalse
 \Hy@pdfwindowuitrue