diff --git a/tui/newt/nmt-newt-section.c b/tui/newt/nmt-newt-section.c
index 7b93b32f3..b1d0b5ffa 100644
--- a/tui/newt/nmt-newt-section.c
+++ b/tui/newt/nmt-newt-section.c
@@ -395,11 +395,11 @@ nmt_newt_section_class_init (NmtNewtSectionClass *section_class)
 	open_glyph   = nmt_newt_locale_from_utf8 ("\342\225\244"); /* ╤ */
 	line_glyph   = nmt_newt_locale_from_utf8 ("\342\224\202"); /* │ */
 	end_glyph    = nmt_newt_locale_from_utf8 ("\342\224\224"); /* └ */
-	if (!closed_glyph || !open_glyph || !line_glyph || !end_glyph) {
-		g_clear_pointer (&closed_glyph, g_free);
-		g_clear_pointer (&open_glyph, g_free);
-		g_clear_pointer (&line_glyph, g_free);
-		g_clear_pointer (&end_glyph, g_free);
+	if (!*closed_glyph || !*open_glyph || !*line_glyph || !*end_glyph) {
+		g_free (closed_glyph);
+		g_free (open_glyph);
+		g_free (line_glyph);
+		g_free (end_glyph);
 
 		closed_glyph = g_strdup ("-");
 		open_glyph   = g_strdup ("+");
diff --git a/tui/nmt-connect-connection-list.c b/tui/nmt-connect-connection-list.c
index 54923ea54..fffdc8ea4 100644
--- a/tui/nmt-connect-connection-list.c
+++ b/tui/nmt-connect-connection-list.c
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ typedef struct {
 	GSList *nmt_devices;
 } NmtConnectConnectionListPrivate;
 
+static const char *strength_full, *strength_high, *strength_med, *strength_low, *strength_none;
+
 /**
  * nmt_connect_connection_list_new:
  *
@@ -524,23 +526,24 @@ nmt_connect_connection_list_rebuild (NmtConnectConnectionList *list)
 				guint8 strength = nm_access_point_get_strength (nmtconn->ap);
 
 				if (strength > 80)
-					strength_col = " ▂▄▆█";
+					strength_col = strength_full;
 				else if (strength > 55)
-					strength_col = " ▂▄▆_";
+					strength_col = strength_high;
 				else if (strength > 30)
-					strength_col = " ▂▄__";
+					strength_col = strength_med;
 				else if (strength > 5)
-					strength_col = " ▂___";
+					strength_col = strength_low;
 				else
-					strength_col = " ____";
+					strength_col = strength_none;
 			} else
-				strength_col = "";
+				strength_col = NULL;
 
-			row = g_strdup_printf ("%c %s%-*s%s",
+			row = g_strdup_printf ("%c %s%-*s%s%s",
 			                       active_col,
 			                       nmtconn->name,
 			                       (int)(max_width - nmt_newt_text_width (nmtconn->name)), "",
-			                       strength_col);
+			                       strength_col ? " " : "",
+			                       strength_col ? strength_col : "");
 
 			nmt_newt_listbox_append (listbox, row, nmtconn);
 			g_free (row);
@@ -603,12 +606,30 @@ static void
 nmt_connect_connection_list_class_init (NmtConnectConnectionListClass *list_class)
 {
 	GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (list_class);
+	char *tmp;
 
 	g_type_class_add_private (list_class, sizeof (NmtConnectConnectionListPrivate));
 
 	/* virtual methods */
 	object_class->constructed  = nmt_connect_connection_list_constructed;
 	object_class->finalize     = nmt_connect_connection_list_finalize;
+
+	/* globals */
+	tmp = nmt_newt_locale_from_utf8 ("\342\226\202\342\226\204\342\226\206\342\226\210");
+	if (*tmp) {
+		strength_full = /* ▂▄▆█ */ "\342\226\202\342\226\204\342\226\206\342\226\210";
+		strength_high = /* ▂▄▆_ */ "\342\226\202\342\226\204\342\226\206_";
+		strength_med  = /* ▂▄__ */ "\342\226\202\342\226\204__";
+		strength_low  = /* ▂___ */ "\342\226\202___";
+		strength_none = /* ____ */ "____";
+	} else {
+		strength_full = "****";
+		strength_high = "*** ";
+		strength_med  = "**  ";
+		strength_low  = "*   ";
+		strength_none = "    ";
+	}
+	g_free (tmp);
 }
 
 /**