diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UserPreferences.h b/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UserPreferences.h
index f1b9f3ea786..dd7ce6b100d 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UserPreferences.h
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/UserPreferences.h
@@ -60,11 +60,13 @@ class UserPreferences : public PreferenceMap
 	Real getReal(AsciiString key, Real defaultValue) const;
 	Int getInt(AsciiString key, Int defaultValue) const;
 	AsciiString getAsciiString(AsciiString key, AsciiString defaultValue) const;
+	UnicodeString getUnicodeString(AsciiString key, UnicodeString defaultValue) const;
 
 	void setBool(AsciiString key, Bool val);
 	void setReal(AsciiString key, Real val);
 	void setInt(AsciiString key, Int val);
 	void setAsciiString(AsciiString key, AsciiString val);
+	void setUnicodeString(AsciiString key, UnicodeString val);
 
 protected:
 	AsciiString m_filename;
diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/UserPreferences.cpp b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/UserPreferences.cpp
index ae9f7636b7b..c90c795ae02 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/UserPreferences.cpp
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/UserPreferences.cpp
@@ -260,6 +260,19 @@ AsciiString UserPreferences::getAsciiString(AsciiString key, AsciiString default
 	return it->second;
 }
 
+UnicodeString UserPreferences::getUnicodeString(AsciiString key, UnicodeString defaultValue) const
+{
+	UserPreferences::const_iterator it = find(key);
+	if (it == end())
+	{
+		return defaultValue;
+	}
+
+	UnicodeString ret;
+	ret.translate(it->second);
+	return ret;
+}
+
 void UserPreferences::setBool(AsciiString key, Bool val)
 {
 	(*this)[key] = boolAsStr(val);
@@ -280,6 +293,13 @@ void UserPreferences::setAsciiString(AsciiString key, AsciiString val)
 	(*this)[key] = val;
 }
 
+void UserPreferences::setUnicodeString(AsciiString key, UnicodeString val)
+{
+	AsciiString str;
+	str.translate(val);
+	(*this)[key] = str;
+}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // QuickMatchPreferences base class
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -515,22 +535,16 @@ void CustomMatchPreferences::setLastLadder(const AsciiString& addr, UnsignedShor
 	(*this)["LastLadderPort"] = strVal;
 }
 
-AsciiString CustomMatchPreferences::getLastLobbyName() const
+UnicodeString CustomMatchPreferences::getLastLobbyName() const
 {
-	CustomMatchPreferences::const_iterator it = find("LastLobbyName");
-	if (it == end())
-	{
-		return AsciiString::TheEmptyString;
-	}
-
-	AsciiString ret = it->second;
+	UnicodeString ret = getUnicodeString("LastLobbyName", UnicodeString::TheEmptyString);
 	ret.trim();
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void CustomMatchPreferences::setLastLobbyName(const AsciiString& name)
+void CustomMatchPreferences::setLastLobbyName(const UnicodeString& name)
 {
-	(*this)["LastLobbyName"] = name;
+	setUnicodeString("LastLobbyName", name);
 }
 
 AsciiString CustomMatchPreferences::getLastLadderAddr( void )
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/CustomMatchPreferences.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/CustomMatchPreferences.h
index 228a7e46b4d..5aea5cee8a4 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/CustomMatchPreferences.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/CustomMatchPreferences.h
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ class CustomMatchPreferences : public UserPreferences
 	CustomMatchPreferences();
 	virtual ~CustomMatchPreferences() override;
 
-	AsciiString getLastLobbyName() const;
-	void setLastLobbyName(const AsciiString& name);
+	UnicodeString getLastLobbyName() const;
+	void setLastLobbyName(const UnicodeString& name);
 
 	void setLastLadder(const AsciiString& addr, UnsignedShort port);
 	AsciiString getLastLadderAddr();
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/PopupHostGame.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/PopupHostGame.cpp
index 074b472fa6d..b5f98aed513 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/PopupHostGame.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/PopupHostGame.cpp
@@ -336,12 +336,8 @@ void PopupHostGameInit( WindowLayout *layout, void *userData )
 #if defined(GENERALS_ONLINE)
 	{
 		CustomMatchPreferences pref;
-		AsciiString lastLobbyName = pref.getLastLobbyName();
-		if (!lastLobbyName.isEmpty())
-		{
-			name.translate(lastLobbyName.str());
-		}
-		else
+		name = pref.getLastLobbyName();
+		if (name.isEmpty())
 		{
 			name.translate("Generals Online Lobby");
 		}
@@ -605,19 +601,8 @@ WindowMsgHandledType PopupHostGameSystem( GameWindow *window, UnsignedInt msg, W
 #if defined(GENERALS_ONLINE)
 				// save last used lobby name to CustomPref.ini
 				{
-					char buffer[256];
-					const WideChar* w = name.str();
-					int i = 0;
-					for (; w[i] != 0 && i < 255; ++i)
-					{
-						buffer[i] = (char)(w[i] & 0xFF);
-					}
-					buffer[i] = 0;
-
-					AsciiString lobbyNameAscii = buffer;
-
 					CustomMatchPreferences pref;
-					pref.setLastLobbyName(lobbyNameAscii);
+					pref.setLastLobbyName(name);
 					pref.write();
 				}
 #endif