diff --git a/doc/xca.sgml b/doc/xca.sgml
index 07d8ae2f..ef40dbcb 100644
--- a/doc/xca.sgml
+++ b/doc/xca.sgml
@@ -595,12 +595,20 @@ because templates may have empty entries that will be filled during
 the rollout of the certificate.
 <p>
 
-<sect1>Allow multiple use of keys
+<sect1>String settings
 <p>
-When creating certificates or requests the list of keys only contains unused keys
-to avoid a duplicate use of keys. This option allows the user to shoot herself
-into the foot. If this option is checked, the key list will contain
-all available keys. Usually, you don't want to enable this.
+This option applies to all strings converted to ASN1 strings.
+<itemize>
+<item><bf>Default</bf> The selected string type is automatically set to
+  the smallest possible, covering all contained characters.
+<item><bf>No BMP strings</bf> All strings containing non printable
+  characters are regarded as errors.
+<item><bf>PKIX in RFC2459</bf> All string types are set as described in
+  RFC2459
+<item><bf>PKIX UTF8 only</bf> All string types are selected according to
+  RFC2459 for entities issued after 2004, which means that almost all
+  distinguished name entry types are set to UTF8.
+</itemize>
 <p>
 
 <sect1>Default hash algorithm
diff --git a/widgets/MW_menu.cpp b/widgets/MW_menu.cpp
index da735646..799aca68 100644
--- a/widgets/MW_menu.cpp
+++ b/widgets/MW_menu.cpp
@@ -150,8 +150,10 @@ void MainWindow::setOptions()
 	mydb.set((const unsigned char *)CCHAR(mandatory_dn),
 			mandatory_dn.length()+1, 1, setting, "mandatory_dn");
 
-	string_opt = opt->getStringOpt();
-	ASN1_STRING_set_default_mask_asc((char *)CCHAR(string_opt));
-	mydb.set((const unsigned char *)CCHAR(string_opt),
-			string_opt.length()+1, 1, setting, "string_opt");
+	if (opt->getStringOpt() != string_opt) {
+		string_opt = opt->getStringOpt();
+		ASN1_STRING_set_default_mask_asc((char *)CCHAR(string_opt));
+		mydb.set((const unsigned char *)CCHAR(string_opt),
+				string_opt.length()+1, 1, setting, "string_opt");
+	}
 }
diff --git a/widgets/Options.cpp b/widgets/Options.cpp
index e2cea869..62d04d2e 100644
--- a/widgets/Options.cpp
+++ b/widgets/Options.cpp
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ Options::Options(QWidget *parent)
 		nid = OBJ_sn2nid(CCHAR(dnl[i]));
 		extDNlist->insertItem(0, OBJ_nid2ln(nid));
 	}
-	string_opts << "default" << "nobmp" << "pkix" << "utf8only";
+	string_opts << "default" << "nombstr" << "pkix" << "utf8only";
 	QStringList s;
-	s << tr("Default: automatically detect String type")
-	  << tr("NO BMPstrings, only printable and T61")
+	s << tr("automatic detection (default)")
+	  << tr("No BMP strings: only printable and T61")
 	  << tr("PKIX recommendation in RFC2459")
-	  << tr("UTF8Strings only (RFC2459 recommendation for 2004)");
+	  << tr("UTF8 strings only (RFC2459)");
 	mbstring->addItems(s);
 }