diff --git a/include/Utils.h b/include/Utils.h
index 183ebbb..bbe46dd 100644
--- a/include/Utils.h
+++ b/include/Utils.h
@@ -17,4 +17,9 @@ descriptiveTime(const QDateTime &then);
 //! in the RoomList.
 DescInfo
 getMessageDescription(const TimelineEvent &event, const QString &localUser);
+
+//! Get the first character of a string, taking into account that
+//! surrogate pairs might be in use.
+QString
+firstChar(const QString &input);
 }
diff --git a/include/ui/Avatar.h b/include/ui/Avatar.h
index dc08913..d856b9d 100644
--- a/include/ui/Avatar.h
+++ b/include/ui/Avatar.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public:
         void setBackgroundColor(const QColor &color);
         void setIcon(const QIcon &icon);
         void setImage(const QImage &image);
-        void setLetter(const QChar &letter);
+        void setLetter(const QString &letter);
         void setSize(int size);
         void setTextColor(const QColor &color);
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ private:
         void init();
 
         ui::AvatarType type_;
-        QChar letter_;
+        QString letter_;
         QColor background_color_;
         QColor text_color_;
         QIcon icon_;
diff --git a/src/RoomInfoListItem.cc b/src/RoomInfoListItem.cc
index f898994..3e84051 100644
--- a/src/RoomInfoListItem.cc
+++ b/src/RoomInfoListItem.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "RoomInfoListItem.h"
 #include "RoomSettings.h"
 #include "Theme.h"
+#include "Utils.h"
 
 constexpr int Padding   = 7;
 constexpr int IconSize  = 48;
@@ -244,7 +245,8 @@ RoomInfoListItem::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event)
                 p.setFont(font);
                 p.setPen(QColor("#333"));
                 p.setBrush(Qt::NoBrush);
-                p.drawText(avatarRegion.translated(0, -1), Qt::AlignCenter, QChar(roomName()[0]));
+                p.drawText(
+                  avatarRegion.translated(0, -1), Qt::AlignCenter, utils::firstChar(roomName()));
         } else {
                 p.save();
 
diff --git a/src/TopRoomBar.cc b/src/TopRoomBar.cc
index 381702e..dc597bc 100644
--- a/src/TopRoomBar.cc
+++ b/src/TopRoomBar.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "OverlayModal.h"
 #include "RoomSettings.h"
 #include "TopRoomBar.h"
+#include "Utils.h"
 
 TopRoomBar::TopRoomBar(QWidget *parent)
   : QWidget(parent)
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ TopRoomBar::TopRoomBar(QWidget *parent)
         topLayout_->setMargin(10);
 
         avatar_ = new Avatar(this);
-        avatar_->setLetter(QChar('?'));
+        avatar_->setLetter("");
         avatar_->setSize(35);
 
         textLayout_ = new QVBoxLayout();
@@ -169,12 +170,7 @@ TopRoomBar::closeLeaveRoomDialog(bool leaving)
 void
 TopRoomBar::updateRoomAvatarFromName(const QString &name)
 {
-        QChar letter = '?';
-
-        if (name.size() > 0)
-                letter = name[0];
-
-        avatar_->setLetter(letter);
+        avatar_->setLetter(utils::firstChar(name));
         update();
 }
 
@@ -183,7 +179,7 @@ TopRoomBar::reset()
 {
         nameLabel_->setText("");
         topicLabel_->setText("");
-        avatar_->setLetter(QChar('?'));
+        avatar_->setLetter("");
 
         roomName_.clear();
         roomTopic_.clear();
diff --git a/src/Utils.cc b/src/Utils.cc
index 663f719..9d575c0 100644
--- a/src/Utils.cc
+++ b/src/Utils.cc
@@ -119,3 +119,12 @@ utils::getMessageDescription(const TimelineEvent &event, const QString &localUse
 
         return DescInfo{};
 }
+
+QString
+utils::firstChar(const QString &input)
+{
+        if (!input.isEmpty())
+                return QString::fromUcs4(&input.toUcs4().at(0), 1);
+
+        return input;
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/Avatar.cc b/src/ui/Avatar.cc
index e3987e7..17ee198 100644
--- a/src/ui/Avatar.cc
+++ b/src/ui/Avatar.cc
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Avatar::Avatar(QWidget *parent)
 {
         size_   = ui::AvatarSize;
         type_   = ui::AvatarType::Letter;
-        letter_ = QChar('A');
+        letter_ = "A";
 
         QFont _font(font());
         _font.setPointSizeF(ui::FontSize);
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ Avatar::setSize(int size)
 }
 
 void
-Avatar::setLetter(const QChar &letter)
+Avatar::setLetter(const QString &letter)
 {
         letter_ = letter;
         type_   = ui::AvatarType::Letter;