diff --git a/data/strings/en.ini b/data/strings/en.ini
index adb7d52c9..a5e285eb7 100644
--- a/data/strings/en.ini
+++ b/data/strings/en.ini
@@ -501,8 +501,8 @@ copy_path = Copy &Path
 
 [dithering_selector]
 no_dithering = No Dithering
-old_dithering = Old Dithering+
-ordered_dithering = Ordered Dithering+
+old_dithering = Old Dithering +\s
+ordered_dithering = Ordered Dithering +\s
 floyd_steinberg = Floyd-Steinberg Error Diffusion Dithering
 
 [canvas_size]
diff --git a/src/app/i18n/strings.cpp b/src/app/i18n/strings.cpp
index 5d44b1b48..2f1430fce 100644
--- a/src/app/i18n/strings.cpp
+++ b/src/app/i18n/strings.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include "app/xml_document.h"
 #include "app/xml_exception.h"
 #include "base/fs.h"
-#include "base/replace_string.h"
 #include "cfg/cfg.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -161,7 +160,26 @@ void Strings::loadStringsFromFile(const std::string& fn)
       textId.append(key);
 
       value = cfg.getValue(section.c_str(), key.c_str(), "");
-      base::replace_string(value, "\\n", "\n");
+
+      // Process escaped chars (\\, \n, \s, \t, etc.)
+      for (int i=0; i<int(value.size()); ) {
+        if (value[i] == '\\') {
+          value.erase(i, 1);
+          if (i == int(value.size()))
+            break;
+          int chr = value[i];
+          switch (chr) {
+            case '\\': chr = '\\'; break;
+            case 'n': chr = '\n'; break;
+            case 't': chr = '\t'; break;
+            case 's': chr = ' '; break;
+          }
+          value[i] = chr;
+        }
+        else {
+          ++i;
+        }
+      }
       m_strings[textId] = value;
 
       //TRACE("I18N: Reading string %s -> %s\n", textId.c_str(), m_strings[textId].c_str());