diff --git a/gameview.py b/gameview.py
index 88b6233..eeb646d 100644
--- a/gameview.py
+++ b/gameview.py
@@ -2935,7 +2935,7 @@ class gui(QtGui.QWidget):
         buckets[0] = webAO_bucket
 
         self.charselect.setCharList(charlist)
-        autopick = get_option("General", "auto pick").lower()
+        autopick = get_option("General", "auto pick").decode('utf-8').lower()
         coincidence = -1
         for i, char in enumerate(self.charlist):
             if char[0].lower() == autopick and char[1] == 0:
diff --git a/options.py b/options.py
index bbe7298..5f40f5e 100644
--- a/options.py
+++ b/options.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class Settings(QtGui.QDialog):
         self.autoconnect = QtGui.QComboBox()
 
         autopick_layout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout()
-        autopick_label = QtGui.QLabel("Pick this character automatically after connecting")
+        autopick_label = QtGui.QLabel("Pick this character automatically on join")
         self.autopick = QtGui.QComboBox()
         for folder in listdir(unicode(AOpath + 'characters')):
             if exists(AOpath + 'characters/' + folder + '/char.ini'):
@@ -141,9 +141,9 @@ class Settings(QtGui.QDialog):
         general_layout.addLayout(allowdownload_layout)
         general_layout.addWidget(separators[2])
         general_layout.addLayout(currtheme_layout)
-        general_layout.addWidget(separators[3])
         general_layout.addLayout(autoconnect_layout)
         general_layout.addLayout(autopick_layout)
+        general_layout.addWidget(separators[3])
         general_layout.addLayout(update_layout)
         general_layout.addWidget(savechangeswarn, 50, QtCore.Qt.AlignBottom)
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class Settings(QtGui.QDialog):
             self.allowdownload_evidence.setChecked(ini.read_ini_bool(self.inifile, "General", "download evidence"))
             self.currtheme.setCurrentIndex(self.themes.index(ini.read_ini(self.inifile, "General", "theme", "default")))
             self.autoconnect.setCurrentIndex(ini.read_ini_int(self.inifile, "General", "auto connect", -1) + 1)
-            self.autopick.setEditText(ini.read_ini(self.inifile, "General", "auto pick"))
+            self.autopick.setEditText(ini.read_ini(self.inifile, "General", "auto pick").decode('utf-8'))
             self.check_updates.setChecked(ini.read_ini_bool(self.inifile, "General", "install updates", False)) # Automatic updates are opt-in!
 
             self.device_list.setCurrentIndex(ini.read_ini_int(self.inifile, "Audio", "device", audio.getcurrdevice()))
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class Settings(QtGui.QDialog):
         self.inifile.set("General", "download evidence", self.allowdownload_evidence.isChecked())
         self.inifile.set("General", "theme", self.currtheme.currentText())
         self.inifile.set("General", "auto connect", self.autoconnect.currentIndex() - 1)
-        self.inifile.set("General", "auto pick", self.autopick.currentText())
+        self.inifile.set("General", "auto pick", self.autopick.currentText().toUtf8())
         self.inifile.set("General", "install updates", self.check_updates.isChecked())
 
         self.inifile.set("Audio", "device", self.device_list.currentIndex())
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ class Settings(QtGui.QDialog):
         self.inifile.set("Audio", "Sound volume", self.soundslider.value())
         self.inifile.set("Audio", "Blip volume", self.blipslider.value())
 
-        self.inifile.write(open("AO2XP.ini", "w"))
+        self.inifile.write(open("AO2XP.ini", "wb"))
         
         with open(AO2XPpath+"callwords.ini", "w") as f:
             f.write(self.callwords_edit.toPlainText().toUtf8())