diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/CreateLobbyDialog.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/CreateLobbyDialog.cpp
index 16e0c7093..d6239232a 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/CreateLobbyDialog.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/CreateLobbyDialog.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ CreateLobbyDialog::CreateLobbyDialog(const std::list<std::string>& peer_list, in
 	ui->lobbyName_LE->setPlaceholderText(tr("Put a sensible lobby name here")) ;
 	ui->nickName_LE->setPlaceholderText(tr("Your nickname for this lobby (Change default name in options->chat)")) ;
 #endif
-	ui->nickName_LE->setText(QString::fromStdString(default_nick)) ;
+	ui->nickName_LE->setText(QString::fromUtf8(default_nick.c_str())) ;
 
 	connect( ui->shareButton, SIGNAL( clicked ( bool ) ), this, SLOT( createLobby( ) ) );
 	connect( ui->cancelButton, SIGNAL( clicked ( bool ) ), this, SLOT( cancel( ) ) );
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ void CreateLobbyDialog::createLobby()
 
 	// set nick name !
 
-	rsMsgs->setNickNameForChatLobby(id,ui->nickName_LE->text().toStdString()) ;
+	rsMsgs->setNickNameForChatLobby(id,ui->nickName_LE->text().toUtf8().constData()) ;
 
 	// open chat window !!
 	std::string vpid ;
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/ChatPage.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/ChatPage.cpp
index 45eda072a..94ceb6953 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/ChatPage.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/ChatPage.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ ChatPage::save(QString &/*errmsg*/)
     rsHistory->setSaveCount(true, ui.publicChatSaveCount->value());
     rsHistory->setSaveCount(false, ui.privateChatSaveCount->value());
 
-	 rsMsgs->setDefaultNickNameForChatLobby(ui.chatLobbyNick_LE->text().toStdString()) ;
+    rsMsgs->setDefaultNickNameForChatLobby(ui.chatLobbyNick_LE->text().toUtf8().constData()) ;
 
     ChatStyleInfo info;
     QListWidgetItem *item = ui.publicList->currentItem();
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ ChatPage::load()
     privateStylePath = loadStyleInfo(ChatStyle::TYPE_PRIVATE, ui.privateList, ui.privateComboBoxVariant, privateStyleVariant);
     historyStylePath = loadStyleInfo(ChatStyle::TYPE_HISTORY, ui.historyList, ui.historyComboBoxVariant, historyStyleVariant);
 
-	 std::string nick ;
-	 rsMsgs->getDefaultNickNameForChatLobby(nick) ;
-	 ui.chatLobbyNick_LE->setText(QString::fromStdString(nick)) ;
+    std::string nick ;
+    rsMsgs->getDefaultNickNameForChatLobby(nick) ;
+    ui.chatLobbyNick_LE->setText(QString::fromUtf8(nick.c_str())) ;
 }
 
 void ChatPage::on_pushButtonChangeChatFont_clicked()