diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index 09f5d69..12c1345 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -2548,6 +2548,7 @@ irc_to_term (struct app_context *ctx, const char *text)
 // Format strings use a #-quoted notation, to differentiate from printf:
 //   #s inserts a string (expected to be in UTF-8)
 //   #d inserts a signed integer
+//   #l inserts a locale-encoded string
 //
 //   #S inserts a string from the server with unknown encoding
 //   #m inserts a mIRC-formatted string (auto-resets at boundaries)
@@ -2767,6 +2768,14 @@ restart:
 	case 's':
 		str_append (buf, (s = va_arg (*ap, char *)));
 		break;
+	case 'l':
+		if (!(tmp = iconv_xstrdup (self->ctx->term_to_utf8,
+			(s = va_arg (*ap, char *)), -1, NULL)))
+			print_error ("character conversion failed for: %s", "output");
+		else
+			str_append (buf, tmp);
+		free (tmp);
+		break;
 
 	case 'S':
 		tmp = irc_to_utf8 (self->ctx, (s = va_arg (*ap, char *)));
@@ -3228,7 +3237,7 @@ buffer_open_log_file (struct app_context *ctx, struct buffer *buffer)
 
 	char *path = buffer_get_log_path (buffer);
 	if (!(buffer->log_file = fopen (path, "ab")))
-		log_global_error (ctx, "Couldn't open log file `#s': #s",
+		log_global_error (ctx, "Couldn't open log file `#s': #l",
 			path, strerror (errno));
 	else
 		set_cloexec (fileno (buffer->log_file));
@@ -9664,7 +9673,7 @@ process_input (struct app_context *ctx, char *user_input)
 {
 	char *input;
 	if (!(input = iconv_xstrdup (ctx->term_to_utf8, user_input, -1, NULL)))
-		print_error ("character conversion failed for `%s'", "user input");
+		print_error ("character conversion failed for: %s", "user input");
 	else
 	{
 		struct str_vector lines;
@@ -10173,7 +10182,7 @@ launch_backlog_helper (struct app_context *ctx, FILE *backlog)
 			"Failed to launch backlog helper", strerror (errno));
 		_exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
 	case -1:
-		log_global_error (ctx, "#s: #s",
+		log_global_error (ctx, "#s: #l",
 			"Failed to launch backlog helper", strerror (errno));
 		break;
 	default:
@@ -10187,7 +10196,7 @@ display_backlog (struct app_context *ctx)
 	FILE *backlog = tmpfile ();
 	if (!backlog)
 	{
-		log_global_error (ctx, "#s: #s",
+		log_global_error (ctx, "#s: #l",
 			"Failed to create a temporary file", strerror (errno));
 		return;
 	}
@@ -10211,7 +10220,7 @@ display_full_log (struct app_context *ctx)
 
 	if (!full_log)
 	{
-		log_global_error (ctx, "Failed to open log file for #s: #s",
+		log_global_error (ctx, "Failed to open log file for #s: #l",
 			ctx->current_buffer->name, strerror (errno));
 		return;
 	}
@@ -10280,7 +10289,7 @@ launch_input_editor (struct app_context *ctx)
 			"Failed to launch editor", strerror (errno));
 		_exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
 	case -1:
-		log_global_error (ctx, "#s: #s",
+		log_global_error (ctx, "#s: #l",
 			"Failed to launch editor", strerror (errno));
 		free (filename);
 		break;
@@ -10310,7 +10319,7 @@ process_edited_input (struct app_context *ctx)
 			"could not re-insert the modified text");
 
 	if (unlink (ctx->editor_filename))
-		log_global_error (ctx, "Could not unlink `#s': #s",
+		log_global_error (ctx, "Could not unlink `#s': #l",
 			ctx->editor_filename, strerror (errno));
 
 	free (ctx->editor_filename);