diff --git a/plugins/hso.c b/plugins/hso.c
index 19bdc5e4..4834c56c 100644
--- a/plugins/hso.c
+++ b/plugins/hso.c
@@ -217,6 +217,16 @@ static void sim_status(gboolean ok, GAtResult *result, gpointer user_data)
 	if (data->have_sim == FALSE)
 		return;
 
+	/*
+	 * Ensure that the modem is using GSM character set and not IRA,
+	 * otherwise weirdness with umlauts and other non-ASCII characters
+	 * can result
+	 */
+	g_at_chat_send(data->control, "AT+CSCS=\"GSM\"", none_prefix,
+							NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	g_at_chat_send(data->app, "AT+CSCS=\"GSM\"", none_prefix,
+							NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
 	/*
 	 * Option has the concept of Speech Service versus
 	 * Data Service. Problem is that in Data Service mode
@@ -345,16 +355,6 @@ static int hso_enable(struct ofono_modem *modem)
 	g_at_chat_send(data->control, "ATE0 +CMEE=1", NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	g_at_chat_send(data->app, "ATE0 +CMEE=1", NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 
-	/*
-	 * Ensure that the modem is using GSM character set and not IRA,
-	 * otherwise weirdness with umlauts and other non-ASCII characters
-	 * can result
-	 */
-	g_at_chat_send(data->control, "AT+CSCS=\"GSM\"", none_prefix,
-							NULL, NULL, NULL);
-	g_at_chat_send(data->app, "AT+CSCS=\"GSM\"", none_prefix,
-							NULL, NULL, NULL);
-
 	g_at_chat_send(data->control, "AT+CFUN=4", none_prefix,
 					cfun_enable, modem, NULL);