diff --git a/src/ncmpcpp.cpp b/src/ncmpcpp.cpp
index 84c52584..c31bd785 100644
--- a/src/ncmpcpp.cpp
+++ b/src/ncmpcpp.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ namespace
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
+	
 	CreateConfigDir();
 	DefaultConfiguration(Config);
 	DefaultKeys(Key);
@@ -1136,8 +1138,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				int howlong = wFooter->GetWidth()*progressbar_size;
 				
 				mvwhline(wFooter->Raw(), 0, 0, 0, wFooter->GetWidth());
-				mvwhline(wFooter->Raw(), 0, 0, Config.progressbar[0], howlong);
-				mvwaddch(wFooter->Raw(), 0, howlong, Config.progressbar[1]);
+				for (int i = 0; i < howlong; ++i)
+					*wFooter << Config.progressbar[0];
+				*wFooter << Config.progressbar[1];
 				*wFooter << fmtBoldEnd;
 				wFooter->Refresh();
 			}
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 7cceb144..6068efe0 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 # include <sys/stat.h>
 #endif // WIN32
 #include <fstream>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 #include "global.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ void DefaultConfiguration(ncmpcpp_config &conf)
 	conf.new_header_first_line = "{$b$1$aqqu$/a$9 {%t}|{%f} $1$atqq$/a$9$/b}";
 	conf.new_header_second_line = "{{{$4$b%a$/b$9}{ - $7%b$9}{ ($4%y$9)}}|{%D}}";
 	conf.browser_playlist_prefix << clRed << "(playlist)" << clEnd << ' ';
-	conf.progressbar = "=>";
+	conf.progressbar = U("=>");
 	conf.pattern = "%n - %t";
 	conf.selected_item_prefix << clMagenta;
 	conf.selected_item_suffix << clEnd;
@@ -624,8 +625,9 @@ void ReadConfiguration(ncmpcpp_config &conf)
 			}
 			else if (cl.find("progressbar_look") != std::string::npos)
 			{
-				if (v.length() == 2)
-					conf.progressbar = v;
+				conf.progressbar = TO_WSTRING(v);
+				if (conf.progressbar.length() != 2)
+					throw std::runtime_error("the length of progressbar_look is not two characters long!");
 			}
 			else if (cl.find("default_tag_editor_pattern") != std::string::npos)
 			{
diff --git a/src/settings.h b/src/settings.h
index 1827bff1..844cb099 100644
--- a/src/settings.h
+++ b/src/settings.h
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ struct ncmpcpp_config
 	std::string execute_on_song_change;
 	std::string new_header_first_line;
 	std::string new_header_second_line;
-	std::string progressbar;
+	std::basic_string<my_char_t> progressbar;
 	
 	std::string pattern;
 	
diff --git a/src/status.cpp b/src/status.cpp
index a9855003..be58cb90 100644
--- a/src/status.cpp
+++ b/src/status.cpp
@@ -502,8 +502,9 @@ void NcmpcppStatusChanged(Connection *, StatusChanges changed, void *)
 				mvwhline(wFooter->Raw(), 0, 0, 0, wFooter->GetWidth());
 				if (np.GetTotalLength())
 				{
-					mvwhline(wFooter->Raw(), 0, 0, Config.progressbar[0], howlong);
-					mvwaddch(wFooter->Raw(), 0, howlong, Config.progressbar[1]);
+					for (int i = 0; i < howlong; ++i)
+						*wFooter << Config.progressbar[0];
+					*wFooter << Config.progressbar[1];
 				}
 				wFooter->SetColor(Config.statusbar_color);
 			}
diff --git a/src/window.cpp b/src/window.cpp
index 5f0034fb..110a1b2d 100644
--- a/src/window.cpp
+++ b/src/window.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ void NCurses::InitScreen(GNUC_UNUSED const char *window_title, bool enable_color
 		COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_RED, COLOR_GREEN, COLOR_YELLOW,
 		COLOR_BLUE, COLOR_MAGENTA, COLOR_CYAN, COLOR_WHITE
 	};
-	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 #	ifdef XCURSES
 	Xinitscr(1, const_cast<char **>(&window_title));
 #	else