diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.h b/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.h
index 00f9d4a153..c90f66ec5b 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.h
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.h
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@
 #ifndef BCVIEW_H
 #define BCVIEW_H
 
+#include "support/docstring.h"
+
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 #include <list>
-#include <string>
 
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ class GuiBC : public BCView {
 public:
 	///
 	GuiBC(ButtonController const & parent,
-	      std::string const & cancel, std::string const & close);
+	      lyx::docstring const & cancel, lyx::docstring const & close);
 
 	//@{
 	/** Store pointers to these widgets. The pointers are _not_
@@ -123,10 +124,10 @@ private:
 	/// Enable/Disable a button
 	virtual void setButtonEnabled(Button * obj, bool enable) const = 0;
 	/// Set the Label on the button
-	virtual void setButtonLabel(Button * obj, std::string const & label) const = 0;
+	virtual void setButtonLabel(Button * obj, lyx::docstring const & label) const = 0;
 
-	std::string const cancel_label_;
-	std::string const close_label_;
+	lyx::docstring const cancel_label_;
+	lyx::docstring const close_label_;
 
 	Button * okay_;
 	Button * apply_;
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.tmpl b/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.tmpl
index cb7f895fc3..c8567f01d4 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.tmpl
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/BCView.tmpl
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ namespace frontend {
 
 template <class Button, class Widget>
 GuiBC<Button, Widget>::GuiBC(ButtonController const & parent,
-			     std::string const & cancel, std::string const & close)
+			     lyx::docstring const & cancel, lyx::docstring const & close)
 	: BCView(parent),
 	  cancel_label_(cancel), close_label_(close),
 	  okay_(0), apply_(0), cancel_(0), restore_(0)
diff --git a/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.C b/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.C
index 8f238db659..6860583081 100644
--- a/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.C
+++ b/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.C
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@
 
 #include "GBC.h"
 
-using std::string;
+using lyx::docstring;
 
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
 GBC::GBC(ButtonController const & parent,
-	 string const & cancel, string const & close)
+	 docstring const & cancel, docstring const & close)
 	: GuiBC<Gtk::Button, Gtk::Widget>(parent, cancel, close)
 {
 }
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ void GBC::setWidgetEnabled(Gtk::Widget * widget, bool enabled) const
 }
 
 
-void GBC::setButtonLabel(Gtk::Button * btn, string const & label) const
+void GBC::setButtonLabel(Gtk::Button * btn, docstring const & label) const
 {
 	// GTK+ Stock buttons take precedence
 	if (!btn->get_use_stock())
-		btn->set_label(Glib::locale_to_utf8(label));
+		btn->set_label(label);
 }
 
 } // namespace frontend
diff --git a/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.h b/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.h
index 9990830275..a852795013 100644
--- a/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.h
+++ b/src/frontends/gtk/GBC.h
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ namespace frontend {
 class GBC : public GuiBC<Gtk::Button, Gtk::Widget> {
 public:
 	GBC(ButtonController const & parent,
-	    std::string const & cancel = lyx::to_utf8(_("Cancel")),
-	    std::string const & close = lyx::to_utf8(_("Close")));
+	    lyx::docstring const & cancel = _("Cancel"),
+	    lyx::docstring const & close = _("Close"));
 private:
 	/// Updates the button sensitivity (enabled/disabled)
 	void setButtonEnabled(Gtk::Button *, bool enabled) const;
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ private:
 	void setWidgetEnabled(Gtk::Widget *, bool enabled) const;
 
 	/// Set the label on the button
-	void setButtonLabel(Gtk::Button *, std::string const & label) const;
+	void setButtonLabel(Gtk::Button *, lyx::docstring const & label) const;
 };
 
 } // namespace frontend
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.C b/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.C
index 3902338784..e290042ae3 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.C
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@
 #include <qbutton.h>
 #include <qlineedit.h>
 
-using std::string;
+using lyx::docstring;
 
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
 Qt2BC::Qt2BC(ButtonController const & parent,
-	     string const & cancel, string const & close)
+	     docstring const & cancel, docstring const & close)
 	: GuiBC<QButton, QWidget>(parent, cancel, close)
 {}
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void Qt2BC::setWidgetEnabled(QWidget * obj, bool enabled) const
 }
 
 
-void Qt2BC::setButtonLabel(QButton * obj, string const & label) const
+void Qt2BC::setButtonLabel(QButton * obj, docstring const & label) const
 {
 	obj->setText(toqstr(label));
 }
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.h b/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.h
index 8b838e7ee1..7a140868f3 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt3/Qt2BC.h
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ class Qt2BC : public GuiBC<QButton, QWidget> {
 public:
 	///
 	Qt2BC(ButtonController const &,
-	      std::string const & = lyx::to_utf8(_("Cancel")),
-	      std::string const & = lyx::to_utf8(_("Close")));
+	      lyx::docstring const & = _("Cancel"),
+	      lyx::docstring const & = _("Close"));
 private:
 	/// Updates the button sensitivity (enabled/disabled)
 	void setButtonEnabled(QButton *, bool enabled) const;
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ private:
 	void setWidgetEnabled(QWidget *, bool enabled) const;
 
 	/// Set the label on the button
-	void setButtonLabel(QButton *, std::string const & label) const;
+	void setButtonLabel(QButton *, lyx::docstring const & label) const;
 };
 
 } // namespace frontend
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.C b/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.C
index d38fdf3be0..be3c9b722e 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.C
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@
 #include <QPushButton>
 #include <QLineEdit>
 
-using std::string;
+using lyx::docstring;
 
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
 Qt2BC::Qt2BC(ButtonController const & parent,
-	     string const & cancel, string const & close)
+	     docstring const & cancel, docstring const & close)
 	: GuiBC<QPushButton, QWidget>(parent, cancel, close)
 {}
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void Qt2BC::setWidgetEnabled(QWidget * obj, bool enabled) const
 }
 
 
-void Qt2BC::setButtonLabel(QPushButton * obj, string const & label) const
+void Qt2BC::setButtonLabel(QPushButton * obj, docstring const & label) const
 {
 	obj->setText(toqstr(label));
 }
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.h b/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.h
index a851a118f1..e71a16a1cf 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/Qt2BC.h
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ class Qt2BC : public GuiBC<QPushButton, QWidget> {
 public:
 	///
 	Qt2BC(ButtonController const &,
-	      std::string const & = lyx::to_utf8(_("Cancel")),
-	      std::string const & = lyx::to_utf8(_("Close")));
+	      lyx::docstring const & = _("Cancel"),
+	      lyx::docstring const & = _("Close"));
 private:
 	/// Updates the button sensitivity (enabled/disabled)
 	void setButtonEnabled(QPushButton *, bool enabled) const;
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ private:
 	void setWidgetEnabled(QWidget *, bool enabled) const;
 
 	/// Set the label on the button
-	void setButtonLabel(QPushButton *, std::string const & label) const;
+	void setButtonLabel(QPushButton *, lyx::docstring const & label) const;
 };
 
 } // namespace frontend