diff --git a/src/BookmarkMgr.cpp b/src/BookmarkMgr.cpp
index edc13e6..e8ff07b 100644
--- a/src/BookmarkMgr.cpp
+++ b/src/BookmarkMgr.cpp
@@ -570,6 +570,38 @@ BookmarkEntryPtr BookmarkMgr::demodToBookmarkEntry(DemodulatorInstancePtr demod)
     return be;
 }
 
+std::wstring BookmarkMgr::getSafeWstringValue(DataNode* node, const std::string& childNodeName) {
+    
+    std::wstring decodedWString = L"";
+
+    if (node != nullptr) {
+
+        DataNode* childNode = node->getNext(childNodeName.c_str());
+
+        //1) decode as encoded wstring:
+        try {
+            childNode->element()->get(decodedWString);
+
+        } catch (DataTypeMismatchException* e) {
+            //2) wstring decode fail, try simple std::string
+            std::string decodedStdString;
+            try {
+                
+                childNode->element()->get(decodedStdString);
+
+                //use wxString for a clean conversion to a wstring:
+                decodedWString = wxString(decodedStdString).ToStdWstring();
+
+            } catch (DataTypeMismatchException* e) {
+                //nothing works, return an empty string.
+                decodedWString = L"";
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return decodedWString;
+}
+
 BookmarkEntryPtr BookmarkMgr::nodeToBookmark(DataNode *node) {
     if (!node->hasAnother("frequency") || !node->hasAnother("type") || !node->hasAnother("bandwidth")) {
         return nullptr;
@@ -582,7 +614,7 @@ BookmarkEntryPtr BookmarkMgr::nodeToBookmark(DataNode *node) {
     node->getNext("bandwidth")->element()->get(be->bandwidth);
 
     if (node->hasAnother("user_label")) {
-        node->getNext("user_label")->element()->get(be->label);
+        be->label = BookmarkMgr::getSafeWstringValue( node, "user_label");
     }
 
     node->rewindAll();
diff --git a/src/BookmarkMgr.h b/src/BookmarkMgr.h
index 3d2183f..4a96777 100644
--- a/src/BookmarkMgr.h
+++ b/src/BookmarkMgr.h
@@ -129,10 +129,15 @@ public:
     static std::wstring getBookmarkEntryDisplayName(BookmarkEntryPtr bmEnt);
     static std::wstring getActiveDisplayName(DemodulatorInstancePtr demod);
 
+    
 protected:
 
     void trimRecents();
 	void loadDefaultRanges();
+
+    //utility method that attemts to decode the childNodeName as std::wstring, else as std::string, else 
+    //return an empty string.
+    static std::wstring getSafeWstringValue(DataNode* node, const std::string& childNodeName);
     
     BookmarkEntryPtr demodToBookmarkEntry(DemodulatorInstancePtr demod);
     BookmarkEntryPtr nodeToBookmark(DataNode *node);
diff --git a/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.cpp b/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.cpp
index 40978b9..cc3fa27 100644
--- a/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.cpp
+++ b/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "DataTree.h"
+#include <wx/string.h>
 
 bool demodFreqCompare (DemodulatorInstancePtr i, DemodulatorInstancePtr j) { return (i->getFrequency() < j->getFrequency()); }
 bool inactiveCompare (DemodulatorInstancePtr i, DemodulatorInstancePtr j) { return (i->isActive() < j->isActive()); }
@@ -432,6 +433,36 @@ void DemodulatorMgr::saveInstance(DataNode *node, DemodulatorInstancePtr inst) {
     }
 }
 
+std::wstring DemodulatorMgr::getSafeWstringValue(DataNode* node) {
+
+    std::wstring decodedWString = L"";
+
+    if (node != nullptr) {
+
+        //1) decode as encoded wstring:
+        try {
+            node->element()->get(decodedWString);
+
+        } catch (DataTypeMismatchException* e) {
+            //2) wstring decode fail, try simple std::string
+            std::string decodedStdString;
+            try {
+
+                node->element()->get(decodedStdString);
+
+                //use wxString for a clean conversion to a wstring:
+                decodedWString = wxString(decodedStdString).ToStdWstring();
+
+            } catch (DataTypeMismatchException* e) {
+                //nothing works, return an empty string.
+                decodedWString = L"";
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return decodedWString;
+}
+
 DemodulatorInstancePtr DemodulatorMgr::loadInstance(DataNode *node) {
 
 	std::lock_guard < std::recursive_mutex > lock(demods_busy);
@@ -486,7 +517,8 @@ DemodulatorInstancePtr DemodulatorMgr::loadInstance(DataNode *node) {
     DataNode *demodUserLabel = node->hasAnother("user_label") ? node->getNext("user_label") : nullptr;
     
     if (demodUserLabel) {
-        demodUserLabel->element()->get(user_label);
+
+        user_label = DemodulatorMgr::getSafeWstringValue(demodUserLabel);
     }
     
     ModemSettings mSettings;
diff --git a/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.h b/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.h
index b080e5f..027e1e3 100644
--- a/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.h
+++ b/src/demod/DemodulatorMgr.h
@@ -77,8 +77,13 @@ public:
 	
     DemodulatorInstancePtr loadInstance(DataNode *node);
 
+
 private:
 
+    //utility method that attemts to decode node value as std::wstring, else as std::string, else 
+    //return an empty string.
+    static std::wstring getSafeWstringValue(DataNode* node);
+
     std::vector<DemodulatorInstancePtr> demods;
     
     DemodulatorInstancePtr activeDemodulator;