diff --git a/nel/include/nel/gui/view_text.h b/nel/include/nel/gui/view_text.h
index 1974e6933..2074576c1 100644
--- a/nel/include/nel/gui/view_text.h
+++ b/nel/include/nel/gui/view_text.h
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		// width of the font in pixel. Just a Hint for tabing format (computed with '_')
 		float	_FontWidth;
 		// strings to use when computing font size
-		::u32string _FontSizingChars;
-		::u32string _FontSizingFallback;
+		std::string _FontSizingChars;
+		std::string _FontSizingFallback;
 		// height of the font in pixel.
 		// use getFontHeight
 		float	_FontHeight;
diff --git a/nel/src/gui/view_text.cpp b/nel/src/gui/view_text.cpp
index 2f8a27d0c..a307893c7 100644
--- a/nel/src/gui/view_text.cpp
+++ b/nel/src/gui/view_text.cpp
@@ -119,11 +119,9 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		// - "_" that should be the character with the lowest part
 		// - A with an accent for the highest part
 		// https://www.compart.com/en/unicode/U+00C4
-		static const u32char chars[] = { (u32char)'_', 0x000000C4, 0 };
-		_FontSizingChars = chars;
+		_FontSizingChars = "_\xC3\x84q";
 		// fallback if SizingChars are not supported by font
-		static const u32char fallback[] = { (u32char)'|', 0 };
-		_FontSizingFallback = fallback;
+		_FontSizingFallback = "|XO";
 		computeFontSize ();
 	}
 
@@ -399,12 +397,12 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		else
 		if ( name == "sizing_chars" )
 		{
-			return CUtfStringView(_FontSizingChars).toUtf8();
+			return _FontSizingChars;
 		}
 		else
 		if ( name == "sizing_fallback" )
 		{
-			return CUtfStringView(_FontSizingFallback).toUtf8();
+			return _FontSizingFallback;
 		}
 		else
 			return "";
@@ -691,13 +689,13 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		else
 		if( name == "sizing_chars" )
 		{
-			_FontSizingChars = CUtfStringView(value).toUtf32();
+			_FontSizingChars = value;
 			return true;
 		}
 		else
 		if( name == "sizing_fallback" )
 		{
-			_FontSizingFallback = CUtfStringView(value).toUtf32();
+			_FontSizingFallback = value;
 			return true;
 		}
 		else
@@ -769,8 +767,8 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "clamp_right", BAD_CAST toString( _ClampRight ).c_str() );
 		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "auto_clamp_offset", BAD_CAST toString( _AutoClampOffset ).c_str() );
 		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "continuous_update", BAD_CAST toString( _ContinuousUpdate ).c_str() );
-		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "sizing_chars", BAD_CAST CUtfStringView(_FontSizingChars).toUtf8().c_str() );
-		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "sizing_fallback", BAD_CAST CUtfStringView(_FontSizingFallback).toUtf8().c_str() );
+		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "sizing_chars", BAD_CAST _FontSizingChars.c_str() );
+		xmlSetProp( node, BAD_CAST "sizing_fallback", BAD_CAST _FontSizingFallback.c_str() );
 
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -956,18 +954,18 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		}
 
 		// "_Ä" lowest/highest chars (underscore, A+diaeresis)
-		static const u32char chars[] = { (u32char)'_', 0x000000C4, 0 };
-		_FontSizingChars = chars;
 		prop = (char*) xmlGetProp( cur, (xmlChar*)"sizing_chars" );
 		if (prop)
-			_FontSizingChars = CUtfStringView((const char*)prop).toUtf32();
+			_FontSizingChars = (const char*)prop;
+		else
+			_FontSizingChars = "_\xC3\x84q";
 
 		// fallback if SizingChars are not supported by font
-		static const u32char fallback[] = { (u32char)'|', 0 };
-		_FontSizingFallback = fallback;
 		prop = (char*) xmlGetProp( cur, (xmlChar*)"sizing_fallback" );
 		if (prop)
-			_FontSizingFallback = CUtfStringView((const char*)prop).toUtf32();
+			_FontSizingFallback = (const char *)prop;
+		else
+			_FontSizingFallback = "|XO";
 
 		computeFontSize ();
 	}
@@ -1475,10 +1473,8 @@ namespace NLGUI
 	// ***************************************************************************
 	void CViewText::setFontSizing(const std::string &chars, const std::string &fallback)
 	{
-		_FontSizingChars.clear();
-		_FontSizingChars = CUtfStringView(chars).toUtf32();
-		_FontSizingFallback.clear();
-		_FontSizingFallback = CUtfStringView(fallback).toUtf32();
+		_FontSizingChars = chars;
+		_FontSizingFallback = fallback;
 	}
 
 	// ***************************************************************************