diff --git a/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php b/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php
index ed24d75..35ede23 100644
--- a/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php
+++ b/src/Voice/Bxml/Response.php
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ public function __construct() {
      * @param Verb $verb The verb to add to the list
      */
     public function addVerb($verb) {
+        foreach($verb as $key => $value) {  // encodes any verb attributes of type string to avoid php character encoding bug
+            if(gettype($value) == "string") {
+                $verb->$key = htmlspecialchars($value, ENT_XML1, 'UTF-8');
+            }
+        }
         array_push($this->verbs, $verb);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/BxmlTest.php b/tests/BxmlTest.php
index c1f0e49..0e5f301 100644
--- a/tests/BxmlTest.php
+++ b/tests/BxmlTest.php
@@ -178,6 +178,18 @@ public function testSpeakSentence() {
         $this->assertEquals($expectedXml, $responseXml);
     }
 
+    public function testSpeakSentenceEncode() {
+        $speakSentence = new BandwidthLib\Voice\Bxml\SpeakSentence("These characters cause problems < > &");
+        $speakSentence->voice("susan");
+        $speakSentence->locale("en_US");
+        $speakSentence->gender("female");
+        $response = new BandwidthLib\Voice\Bxml\Response();
+        $response->addVerb($speakSentence);
+        $expectedXml = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><Response><SpeakSentence locale="en_US" gender="female" voice="susan">These characters cause problems &lt; &gt; &amp;</SpeakSentence></Response>';
+        $responseXml = $response->toBxml();
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedXml, $responseXml);
+    }
+
     public function testSpeakSentenceSSML() {
         $speakSentence = new BandwidthLib\Voice\Bxml\SpeakSentence('Hello, you have reached the home of <lang xml:lang="es-MX">Antonio Mendoza</lang>.Please leave a message.');
         $response = new BandwidthLib\Voice\Bxml\Response();