diff --git a/curses/wicd-curses.py b/curses/wicd-curses.py
index 71b5d3c..4d8b35e 100755
--- a/curses/wicd-curses.py
+++ b/curses/wicd-curses.py
@@ -76,13 +76,10 @@ CURSES_REV=wpath.curses_revision
 
 # Fix strings in wicd-curses
 from wicd.translations import language
-from wicd.translations import _ as orig_
+from wicd.translations import _
 for i in language.keys():
     language[i] = language[i].decode('utf8')
 
-def _(s):
-    return orig_(s).decode('utf8')
-
 ########################################
 ##### SUPPORT CLASSES
 ########################################
diff --git a/wicd/translations.py b/wicd/translations.py
index ee84ab8..c560e01 100644
--- a/wicd/translations.py
+++ b/wicd/translations.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def get_gettext():
     langs += ["en_US"]
     lang = gettext.translation('wicd', local_path, languages=langs, 
                                fallback=True)
-    _ = lang.gettext
+    _ = lang.ugettext
     return _
 
 _ = get_gettext()