diff --git a/changelog.d/6735.bugfix b/changelog.d/6735.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..814bf3f47c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/6735.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixes crash when entering non ascii characters during account creation
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/failure/Extensions.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/failure/Extensions.kt
index 6e198fb98c..68b931b33c 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/failure/Extensions.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/failure/Extensions.kt
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ fun Throwable.isUsernameInUse() = this is Failure.ServerError &&
         error.code == MatrixError.M_USER_IN_USE
 
 fun Throwable.isInvalidUsername() = this is Failure.ServerError &&
-        error.code == MatrixError.M_INVALID_USERNAME
+        (error.code == MatrixError.M_INVALID_USERNAME || usernameContainsNonAsciiCharacters())
+
+private fun Failure.ServerError.usernameContainsNonAsciiCharacters() = error.code == MatrixError.M_UNKNOWN &&
+        error.message == "Query parameter \'username\' must be ascii"
 
 fun Throwable.isInvalidPassword() = this is Failure.ServerError &&
         error.code == MatrixError.M_FORBIDDEN &&
diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModel.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModel.kt
index 8136dc379b..73288bd6d5 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModel.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModel.kt
@@ -193,25 +193,32 @@ class OnboardingViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
     }
 
     private suspend fun checkUserNameAvailability(userName: String) {
-        when (val result = registrationWizard.registrationAvailable(userName)) {
-            RegistrationAvailability.Available -> {
-                setState {
-                    copy(
-                            registrationState = RegistrationState(
-                                    isUserNameAvailable = true,
-                                    selectedMatrixId = when {
-                                        userName.isMatrixId() -> userName
-                                        else -> "@$userName:${selectedHomeserver.userFacingUrl.toReducedUrl()}"
-                                    },
-                            )
-                    )
-                }
-            }
+        runCatching { registrationWizard.registrationAvailable(userName) }.fold(
+                onSuccess = { result ->
+                    when (result) {
+                        RegistrationAvailability.Available -> {
+                            setState {
+                                copy(
+                                        registrationState = RegistrationState(
+                                                isUserNameAvailable = true,
+                                                selectedMatrixId = when {
+                                                    userName.isMatrixId() -> userName
+                                                    else -> "@$userName:${selectedHomeserver.userFacingUrl.toReducedUrl()}"
+                                                },
+                                        )
+                                )
+                            }
+                        }
 
-            is RegistrationAvailability.NotAvailable -> {
-                _viewEvents.post(OnboardingViewEvents.Failure(result.failure))
-            }
-        }
+                        is RegistrationAvailability.NotAvailable -> {
+                            _viewEvents.post(OnboardingViewEvents.Failure(result.failure))
+                        }
+                    }
+                },
+                onFailure = {
+                    _viewEvents.post(OnboardingViewEvents.Failure(it))
+                }
+        )
     }
 
     private fun withAction(action: OnboardingAction, block: (OnboardingAction) -> Unit) {
diff --git a/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModelTest.kt b/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModelTest.kt
index b8a0be9529..b505d05944 100644
--- a/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModelTest.kt
+++ b/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/features/onboarding/OnboardingViewModelTest.kt
@@ -478,6 +478,20 @@ class OnboardingViewModelTest {
                 .finish()
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `given available username throws, when a register username is entered, then emits error`() = runTest {
+        viewModelWith(initialRegistrationState(A_HOMESERVER_URL))
+        fakeAuthenticationService.givenRegistrationWizard(FakeRegistrationWizard().also { it.givenUserNameIsAvailableThrows(A_USERNAME, AN_ERROR) })
+        val test = viewModel.test()
+
+        viewModel.handle(OnboardingAction.UserNameEnteredAction.Registration(A_USERNAME))
+
+        test
+                .assertStates(initialState)
+                .assertEvents(OnboardingViewEvents.Failure(AN_ERROR))
+                .finish()
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `given available username, when a register username is entered, then emits available registration state`() = runTest {
         viewModelWith(initialRegistrationState(A_HOMESERVER_URL))
diff --git a/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/test/fakes/FakeRegistrationWizard.kt b/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/test/fakes/FakeRegistrationWizard.kt
index 4f0b1fe083..6cacd6c1e5 100644
--- a/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/test/fakes/FakeRegistrationWizard.kt
+++ b/vector/src/test/java/im/vector/app/test/fakes/FakeRegistrationWizard.kt
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ class FakeRegistrationWizard : RegistrationWizard by mockk(relaxed = false) {
         coEvery { registrationAvailable(userName) } returns RegistrationAvailability.Available
     }
 
+    fun givenUserNameIsAvailableThrows(userName: String, cause: Throwable) {
+        coEvery { registrationAvailable(userName) } throws cause
+    }
+
     fun givenUserNameIsUnavailable(userName: String, failure: Failure.ServerError) {
         coEvery { registrationAvailable(userName) } returns RegistrationAvailability.NotAvailable(failure)
     }