diff --git a/include/remote_plugin.h b/include/remote_plugin.h
index 6dbfb439a..d6add7ed1 100644
--- a/include/remote_plugin.h
+++ b/include/remote_plugin.h
@@ -1138,4 +1138,6 @@ void remotePluginClient::doProcessing( void )
 
 #endif
 
+#define QSTR_TO_STDSTR(s)	std::string( s.toUtf8().constData() )
+
 #endif
diff --git a/plugins/vst_base/vst_plugin.cpp b/plugins/vst_base/vst_plugin.cpp
index 16308530e..f1efb3b4c 100644
--- a/plugins/vst_base/vst_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/vst_base/vst_plugin.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ vstPlugin::vstPlugin( const QString & _plugin ) :
 	(void) target->winId();
 
 	sendMessage( message( IdVstPluginWindowInformation ).
-					addString( t.toStdString() ) );
+					addString( QSTR_TO_STDSTR( t ) ) );
 #endif
 
 	VstHostLanguages hlang = LanguageEnglish;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ vstPlugin::vstPlugin( const QString & _plugin ) :
 		p = configManager::inst()->vstDir() + QDir::separator() + p;
 	}
 
-	sendMessage( message( IdVstLoadPlugin ).addString( p.toStdString() ) );
+	sendMessage( message( IdVstLoadPlugin ).addString( QSTR_TO_STDSTR( p ) ) );
 
 	waitForInitDone();
 
@@ -423,8 +423,9 @@ void vstPlugin::loadChunk( const QByteArray & _chunk )
 		tf.write( _chunk );
 		lock();
 		sendMessage( message( IdLoadSettingsFromFile ).
-				addString( QDir::toNativeSeparators(
-					tf.fileName() ).toStdString() ).
+				addString(
+					QSTR_TO_STDSTR(
+						QDir::toNativeSeparators( tf.fileName() ) ) ).
 				addInt( _chunk.size() ) );
 		waitForMessage( IdLoadSettingsFromFile );
 		unlock();
@@ -442,8 +443,9 @@ QByteArray vstPlugin::saveChunk( void )
 	{
 		lock();
 		sendMessage( message( IdSaveSettingsToFile ).
-				addString( QDir::toNativeSeparators(
-					tf.fileName() ).toStdString() ) );
+				addString(
+					QSTR_TO_STDSTR(
+						QDir::toNativeSeparators( tf.fileName() ) ) ) );
 		waitForMessage( IdSaveSettingsToFile );
 		unlock();
 		a = tf.readAll();
diff --git a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/zynaddsubfx.cpp b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/zynaddsubfx.cpp
index 9b952af70..eeac80943 100644
--- a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/zynaddsubfx.cpp
+++ b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/zynaddsubfx.cpp
@@ -103,8 +103,9 @@ void zynAddSubFx::saveSettings( QDomDocument & _doc,
 		m_plugin->lock();
 		m_plugin->sendMessage(
 			remotePlugin::message( IdSaveSettingsToFile ).
-				addString( QDir::toNativeSeparators(
-					tf.fileName() ).toStdString() ) );
+				addString(
+					QSTR_TO_STDSTR(
+						QDir::toNativeSeparators( tf.fileName() ) ) ) );
 		m_plugin->waitForMessage( IdSaveSettingsToFile );
 		m_plugin->unlock();
 		QByteArray a = tf.readAll();
@@ -144,8 +145,9 @@ void zynAddSubFx::loadSettings( const QDomElement & _this )
 		m_plugin->lock();
 		m_plugin->sendMessage(
 			remotePlugin::message( IdLoadSettingsFromFile ).
-				addString( QDir::toNativeSeparators(
-					tf.fileName() ).toStdString() ) );
+				addString(
+					QSTR_TO_STDSTR(
+						QDir::toNativeSeparators( tf.fileName() ) ) ) );
 		m_plugin->waitForMessage( IdLoadSettingsFromFile );
 		m_plugin->unlock();
 
@@ -161,7 +163,7 @@ void zynAddSubFx::loadFile( const QString & _file )
 	m_plugin->lock();
 	m_plugin->sendMessage(
 		remotePlugin::message( IdLoadPresetFromFile ).
-				addString( _file.toStdString() ) );
+								QSTR_TO_STD_STR( _file ) );
 	m_plugin->waitForMessage( IdLoadPresetFromFile );
 	m_plugin->unlock();
 
@@ -230,10 +232,9 @@ void zynAddSubFx::initRemotePlugin( void )
 
 	m_plugin->sendMessage(
 		remotePlugin::message( IdZasfPresetDirectory ).
-				addString(
-		( configManager::inst()->factoryPresetsDir() +
-			QDir::separator() + "ZynAddSubFX" ).
-						toStdString() ) );
+			addString(
+				QSTR_TO_STDSTR( configManager::inst()->factoryPresetsDir() +
+					QDir::separator() + "ZynAddSubFX" ) ) );
 	m_plugin->unlock();
 }