diff --git a/src/groupchat_window.py b/src/groupchat_window.py
index 5de556dea..d11f9fc87 100644
--- a/src/groupchat_window.py
+++ b/src/groupchat_window.py
@@ -1003,7 +1003,7 @@ class GroupchatWindow(chat.Chat):
 		self.xmls[room_jid] = gtk.glade.XML(GTKGUI_GLADE, 'gc_vbox', APP)
 		self.childs[room_jid] = self.xmls[room_jid].get_widget('gc_vbox')
 		chat.Chat.new_tab(self, room_jid)
-		self.nicks[room_jid] = nick
+		self.nicks[room_jid] = gtkgui_helpers.ensure_unicode_string(nick)
 		self.subjects[room_jid] = ''
 		self.room_creation[room_jid] = time.time()
 		self.nick_hits[room_jid] = []
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ class GroupchatWindow(chat.Chat):
 				return
 			room_jid = self.get_active_jid()
 			nick = model[iter][1]
-			if nick != 'moderator' and nick !='participant' :
+			if nick != 'moderator' and nick != 'participant':
 				account = self.account
 				
 				img = model[iter][0]
diff --git a/src/gtkgui_helpers.py b/src/gtkgui_helpers.py
index 920477a53..9a82d3e72 100644
--- a/src/gtkgui_helpers.py
+++ b/src/gtkgui_helpers.py
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ def reduce_chars_newlines(text, max_chars = 0, max_lines = 0,
 	on it is not performed
 	'''
 	# assure that we have only unicode text
-	if type(text) == str:
-		text = unicode(text, encoding='utf-8')
+	text = ensure_unicode_string(text)
 		
 	def _cut_if_long(str):
 		if len(str) > max_chars:
@@ -123,6 +122,10 @@ def escape_for_pango_markup(string):
 	
 	return escaped_str
 
+def ensure_unicode_string(string):
+	if type(string) == str:  
+		return unicode(string, encoding = 'utf-8')  
+
 def autodetect_browser_mailer():
 	#recognize the environment for appropriate browser/mailer
 	if os.path.isdir('/proc'):