diff --git a/adressaufkleber/vl-addressLabels.cls b/adressaufkleber/vl-addressLabels.cls
index 4a96513e8fb11dea483059b3c7ff3f67e3acb260..bcf1fe394e45657baf04d755eeb0b88f48c1f116 100644
--- a/adressaufkleber/vl-addressLabels.cls
+++ b/adressaufkleber/vl-addressLabels.cls
@@ -117,7 +117,11 @@
   \defineshorthand{"'}{\closeautoquote}
 }{%
 }
-\MakeAutoQuote{»}{«} 
+\MakeAutoQuote{»}{«}
+\@ifpackageloaded{inputenc}{}{%
+  \catcode`\»=\active
+  \catcode`\«=\active
+}
 
 \RequirePackage{picture}
 
diff --git a/kalibrierschein/kalibrierschein.cls b/kalibrierschein/kalibrierschein.cls
index 9dda9c73aae728aa63df28c2f1f86105b9c457da..37161224aab3a65d12a46353d1a89e15f0c17c50 100644
--- a/kalibrierschein/kalibrierschein.cls
+++ b/kalibrierschein/kalibrierschein.cls
@@ -35,19 +35,24 @@
 
 \RequirePackage[\ks@langs]{babel}
 \RequirePackage{iflang}
+\RequirePackage[babel=once,german=guillemets]{csquotes}
 \IfLanguageName{ngerman}{%
   \typeout{ngerman}
-  \RequirePackage[babel=once,german=guillemets]{csquotes}
   \AtEndOfClass{\shorthandon{"}}
   \defineshorthand{"`}{\openautoquote}
   \defineshorthand{"'}{\closeautoquote}
-  \MakeAutoQuote{»}{«}
   \AtBeginDocument{\sisetup{locale=DE}}
 }{%
   \typeout{english}
-  \RequirePackage[babel=once]{csquotes}
   \AtBeginDocument{\sisetup{locale=UK}}
 }
+\MakeAutoQuote{»}{«}
+\AtEndOfClass{%
+  \@ifpackageloaded{inputenc}{}{%
+    \catcode`\»=\active
+    \catcode`\«=\active
+  }%
+}
 
 \def\huge{\@setfontsize\huge{20.26}{25.3}}
 \def\large{\@setfontsize\large{12.17}{14.2}}
@@ -293,7 +298,7 @@
 
 \newcommand*\ks@applicant{%
   Name des Auftraggebers, Stra\ss e, Firmensitz}
-\newcommand*\applicant[1]{\xdef\ks@applicant{\trim@spaces{#1}}}
+\newcommand*\applicant[1]{\long\gdef\ks@applicant{#1}}
 
 \newcommand*\ks@serialNo{XXX,YYY}
 \newcommand*\serialNo[1]{%