diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatStyle.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatStyle.cpp
index 6f9fa3a51..1ae88feed 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatStyle.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/chat/ChatStyle.cpp
@@ -411,8 +411,7 @@ static bool getStyleInfo(QString stylePath, QString stylePathRelative, ChatStyle
 static QString getBaseDir()
 {
     // application path
-    std::string configDir = RsInit::RsConfigDirectory();
-    QString baseDir = QString::fromStdString(configDir);
+    QString baseDir = QString::fromUtf8(RsInit::RsConfigDirectory().c_str());
 
 #ifdef WIN32
     if (RsInit::isPortable ()) {
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/RsharePeerSettings.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/RsharePeerSettings.cpp
index e111c81aa..95ed45666 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/RsharePeerSettings.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/RsharePeerSettings.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include "gui/style/RSStyle.h"
 
 /** The file in which all settings of he peers will read and written. */
-#define SETTINGS_FILE   (RsInit::RsProfileConfigDirectory() + "/RSPeers.conf")
+#define SETTINGS_FILE   (QString::fromUtf8(RsInit::RsProfileConfigDirectory().c_str()) + "/RSPeers.conf")
 
 /* clean dead gpg id's after these days */
 #define DAYS_TO_CLEAN   7
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ RsharePeerSettings *PeerSettings = NULL;
 
 /** Default Constructor */
 RsharePeerSettings::RsharePeerSettings()
-    : QSettings(QString::fromStdString(SETTINGS_FILE), QSettings::IniFormat)
+    : QSettings(SETTINGS_FILE, QSettings::IniFormat)
 {
     cleanDeadGpgIds();
 }
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/rsettings.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/rsettings.cpp
index 643dcaa8a..bec614976 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/rsettings.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/settings/rsettings.cpp
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@
 #include <retroshare/rsinit.h>
 
 /** The file in which all settings will read and written. */
-#define SETTINGS_FILE   (RsInit::RsProfileConfigDirectory() + "/RetroShare.conf")
+#define SETTINGS_FILE   (QString::fromUtf8(RsInit::RsProfileConfigDirectory().c_str()) + "/RetroShare.conf")
 
 /** Constructor */
 RSettings::RSettings(const QString settingsGroup)
-: QSettings(QString::fromStdString(SETTINGS_FILE), QSettings::IniFormat)
+: QSettings(SETTINGS_FILE, QSettings::IniFormat)
 {
     std::string sPreferedId;
     m_bValid = RsInit::getPreferedAccountId(sPreferedId);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ void
 RSettings::reset()
 {
   /* Static method, so we have to create a QSettings object. */
-  QSettings settings(QString::fromStdString(SETTINGS_FILE), QSettings::IniFormat);
+  QSettings settings(SETTINGS_FILE, QSettings::IniFormat);
   settings.clear();
 }
 
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp
index 93dfee507..0782254be 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/main.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* Setup The GUI Stuff */
 	Rshare rshare(args, argc, argv, 
-		QString::fromStdString(RsInit::RsConfigDirectory()));
+		QString::fromUtf8(RsInit::RsConfigDirectory().c_str()));
 
 	std::string url = RsInit::getRetroShareLink();
 	if (!url.empty()) {