diff --git a/src/bitmessagemain.py b/src/bitmessagemain.py
index 798841ff..8f018337 100644
--- a/src/bitmessagemain.py
+++ b/src/bitmessagemain.py
@@ -68,14 +68,17 @@ class outgoingSynSender(threading.Thread):
             if shared.shutdown:
                 break
             random.seed()
+            shared.knownNodesLock.acquire()
             HOST, = random.sample(shared.knownNodes[self.streamNumber], 1)
+            shared.knownNodesLock.release()
             alreadyAttemptedConnectionsListLock.acquire()
             while HOST in alreadyAttemptedConnectionsList or HOST in shared.connectedHostsList:
                 alreadyAttemptedConnectionsListLock.release()
                 # print 'choosing new sample'
                 random.seed()
-                HOST, = random.sample(shared.knownNodes[
-                                      self.streamNumber], 1)
+                shared.knownNodesLock.acquire()
+                HOST, = random.sample(shared.knownNodes[self.streamNumber], 1)
+                shared.knownNodesLock.release()
                 time.sleep(1)
                 # Clear out the alreadyAttemptedConnectionsList every half
                 # hour so that this program will again attempt a connection
diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index 22f957e3..3f0c7e6f 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -1076,8 +1076,8 @@ class MyForm(QtGui.QMainWindow):
             shared.statusIconColor = 'red'
             # if the connection is lost then show a notification
             if self.connected:
-                self.notifierShow('Bitmessage', _translate(
-                    "MainWindow", "Connection lost"))
+                self.notifierShow('Bitmessage', unicode(_translate(
+                    "MainWindow", "Connection lost").toUtf8(),'utf-8'))
             self.connected = False
 
             if self.actionStatus is not None:
@@ -1109,8 +1109,8 @@ class MyForm(QtGui.QMainWindow):
                 QIcon(":/newPrefix/images/greenicon.png"))
             shared.statusIconColor = 'green'
             if not self.connected:
-                self.notifierShow('Bitmessage', _translate(
-                    "MainWindow", "Connected"))
+                self.notifierShow('Bitmessage', unicode(_translate(
+                    "MainWindow", "Connected").toUtf8(),'utf-8'))
             self.connected = True
 
             if self.actionStatus is not None:
@@ -1582,12 +1582,12 @@ class MyForm(QtGui.QMainWindow):
             newItem = QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(unicode(fromAddress, 'utf-8'))
             newItem.setToolTip(unicode(fromAddress, 'utf-8'))
             if shared.config.getboolean('bitmessagesettings', 'showtraynotifications'):
-                self.notifierShow('New Message', 'From ' + fromAddress)
+                self.notifierShow(unicode(_translate("MainWindow",'New Message').toUtf8(),'utf-8'), unicode(_translate("MainWindow",'From ').toUtf8(),'utf-8') + unicode(fromAddress, 'utf-8'))
         else:
             newItem = QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(unicode(fromLabel, 'utf-8'))
             newItem.setToolTip(unicode(unicode(fromLabel, 'utf-8')))
             if shared.config.getboolean('bitmessagesettings', 'showtraynotifications'):
-                self.notifierShow('New Message', 'From ' + fromLabel)
+                self.notifierShow(unicode(_translate("MainWindow",'New Message').toUtf8(),'utf-8'), unicode(_translate("MainWindow",'From ').toUtf8(),'utf-8') + unicode(fromLabel, 'utf-8'))
         newItem.setData(Qt.UserRole, str(fromAddress))
         newItem.setFont(font)
         self.ui.tableWidgetInbox.setItem(0, 1, newItem)