diff --git a/src/pike/core.py b/src/pike/core.py
index 28cf3bc..1af8471 100644
--- a/src/pike/core.py
+++ b/src/pike/core.py
@@ -251,8 +251,10 @@ def encode_uint64le(self, val):
     def encode_int64le(self, val):
         self.encode_struct("<q", val)
 
+
     def encode_utf16le(self, val):
-        self.encode_bytes(str(val).encode("utf-16le"))
+        self.encode_bytes(str(val).encode("utf-16le", errors="surrogatepass"))
+
 
     def trunc(self):
         self._expand_to(self.offset)
@@ -311,7 +313,7 @@ def decode_int64le(self):
         return self.decode_struct("<q")[0]
 
     def decode_utf16le(self, size):
-        return self.decode_bytes(size).tobytes().decode("utf-16le")
+        return self.decode_bytes(size).tobytes().decode("utf-16le", errors="surrogatepass")
 
     def align(self, base, val):
         assert self.array is base.array
diff --git a/tests/test_surrogate_pairs.py b/tests/test_surrogate_pairs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95d6775
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_surrogate_pairs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2024 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.
+
+import uuid
+
+import pike.ntstatus
+import pike.smb2
+import pytest
+
+
+# for python print support
+# import io
+# import sys
+# sys.stdout = io.TextIOWrapper(sys.stdout.buffer, encoding="utf-8", errors="surrogatepass")
+
+PARAMS = [
+    ("\ud83d\ude4f", "valid surrogate pairs"),  # 🙏 emoji
+    ("\U0001F600", "32-bit character"),  # 😁 emoji
+    ("\uD83D", "high surrogate"),  # high surrogate
+    ("\uDC00", "low surrogate"),  # low surrogate
+    ("\u4F60\u597D", "BMP characters"),  # Chinese "你好"
+]
+
+
+def validate_filename_support(char):
+    spclchar = char.encode("utf-16", "surrogatepass").decode(
+        "utf-16", "surrogatepass"
+    )
+    filename = f"test_io_{spclchar}_{uuid.uuid4()}.txt"
+    return filename
+
+def extract_filename(file_path):
+    # Normalize path separators to support both Windows (\\) and PowerScale (\ued5c)
+    # \\share1\\test_io....txt
+    # \ued5cifs\ued5ctest_io_....txt
+    normalized_path = file_path.replace("\ued5c", "/").replace("\\", "/")
+    file_name = normalized_path.rsplit("/", 1)[-1]
+    return file_name
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("char, description", PARAMS)
+def test_surrogate_filename_full_flow(pike_TreeConnect, char, description):
+    filename = validate_filename_support(char)
+    print("=" * 50 + f"{description}" + "=" * 50)
+    try:
+        with pike_TreeConnect() as tc:
+            # Step 1: Create file with write/read, no delete on close
+            print("Step 1: Creating file")
+            with tc.chan.create(
+                tc.tree,
+                filename,
+                access=pike.smb2.GENERIC_READ
+                | pike.smb2.GENERIC_WRITE
+                | pike.smb2.DELETE,
+                share=pike.smb2.FILE_SHARE_READ
+                | pike.smb2.FILE_SHARE_DELETE,
+                disposition=pike.smb2.FILE_CREATE,
+            ).result() as fh:
+                buf = "test123"
+                tc.chan.write(fh, 0, buf)
+                read_data = tc.chan.read(fh, len(buf), 0).tobytes().decode()
+                assert (
+                    read_data == buf
+                ), f"Data mismatch: expected {buf}, got {read_data}"
+                print("File created successfully:", filename)
+                tc.chan.close(fh)
+
+            # Step 2: Query file info (enumerate)
+            print("Step 2: Querying file info")
+            with tc.chan.create(
+                tc.tree,
+                filename,
+                access=pike.smb2.GENERIC_READ,
+                share=pike.smb2.FILE_SHARE_READ,
+            ).result() as fh_open:
+                file_info = tc.chan.query_file_info(
+                    fh_open,
+                    pike.smb2.FILE_ALL_INFORMATION,
+                    info_type=pike.smb2.SMB2_0_INFO_FILE,
+                    first_result_only=True
+                )
+                file_path = file_info.name_information.file_name
+                file_name = extract_filename(file_path)
+                assert (
+                    file_name == filename
+                ), f"Data mismatch: expected {filename}, got {file_name}"
+                print("Queried file info successfully:", file_info.name_information.file_name)
+                tc.chan.close(fh_open)
+
+            #Step 3: Open file with delete on close
+            print("Step 3: Opening file with DELETE_ON_CLOSE")
+            with tc.chan.create(
+                tc.tree,
+                filename,
+                access=pike.smb2.GENERIC_READ
+                | pike.smb2.DELETE,
+                share=pike.smb2.FILE_SHARE_READ
+                | pike.smb2.FILE_SHARE_DELETE,
+                disposition=pike.smb2.FILE_OPEN,
+                options=pike.smb2.FILE_DELETE_ON_CLOSE,
+            ).result() as fh_delete:
+                print("File opened with DELETE_ON_CLOSE and will be deleted:", filename)
+                pass
+
+            # Step 4: Verify file deletion
+            print("Step 4: Verifying file deletion")
+            try:
+                with tc.chan.create(
+                    tc.tree,
+                    filename,
+                    access=pike.smb2.GENERIC_READ,
+                    disposition=pike.smb2.FILE_OPEN,
+                ).result() as fh_check:
+                    pytest.fail(f"File '{filename}' still exists after DELETE_ON_CLOSE.")
+            except pike.model.ResponseError as e:
+                assert (e.response.status == pike.ntstatus.STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_NOT_FOUND
+                ), f"Unexpected error for filename '{filename}': {e}"
+                print("File successfully deleted. Test passed:", filename)
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Failed for file: {filename} with description '{description}': {e}")
+        pytest.fail(f"Unexpected error for filename '{filename}' with description '{description}': {e}")
+