diff --git a/src/client.cc b/src/client.cc
index f47f31895..6c3523ad5 100644
--- a/src/client.cc
+++ b/src/client.cc
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ bool Client::process_pending_inputs()
         catch (Kakoune::runtime_error& error)
         {
             write_to_debug_buffer(format("Error: {}", error.what()));
-            context().print_status({ error.what().str(), get_face("Error") });
+            context().print_status({ fix_atom_text(error.what().str()), get_face("Error") });
             context().hooks().run_hook("RuntimeError", error.what(), context());
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/client_manager.cc b/src/client_manager.cc
index bec1b2ea3..fd4cfe1a2 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.cc
+++ b/src/client_manager.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ Client* ClientManager::create_client(std::unique_ptr<UserInterface>&& ui, int pi
     }
     catch (Kakoune::runtime_error& error)
     {
-        client->context().print_status({ error.what().str(), get_face("Error") });
+        client->context().print_status({ fix_atom_text(error.what().str()), get_face("Error") });
         client->context().hooks().run_hook("RuntimeError", error.what(),
                                            client->context());
     }
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 848d4406e..1e583adb2 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -1101,7 +1101,7 @@ const CommandDesc echo_cmd = {
     CommandCompleter{},
     [](const ParametersParser& parser, Context& context, const ShellContext&)
     {
-        String message = join(parser, ' ', false);
+        String message = fix_atom_text(join(parser, ' ', false));
         if (parser.get_switch("debug"))
             write_to_debug_buffer(message);
         else if (parser.get_switch("markup"))
diff --git a/src/display_buffer.cc b/src/display_buffer.cc
index 3694839a1..e6ae2a345 100644
--- a/src/display_buffer.cc
+++ b/src/display_buffer.cc
@@ -303,4 +303,22 @@ DisplayLine parse_display_line(StringView line, const HashMap<String, DisplayLin
     return res;
 }
 
+String fix_atom_text(StringView str)
+{
+    String res;
+    auto pos = str.begin();
+    for (auto it = str.begin(), end = str.end(); it != end; ++it)
+    {
+        char c = *it;
+        if (c == '\n' or c == '\r')
+        {
+            res += StringView{pos, it};
+            res += c == '\n' ? "␤" : "␍";
+            pos = it+1;
+        }
+    }
+    res += StringView{pos, str.end()};
+    return res;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/display_buffer.hh b/src/display_buffer.hh
index 1215d76d6..2b0a989dc 100644
--- a/src/display_buffer.hh
+++ b/src/display_buffer.hh
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ private:
     AtomList  m_atoms;
 };
 
+String fix_atom_text(StringView str);
 DisplayLine parse_display_line(StringView line, const HashMap<String, DisplayLine>& builtins = {});
 
 class DisplayBuffer : public UseMemoryDomain<MemoryDomain::Display>
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index 797719f9c..debae2d8f 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -500,23 +500,6 @@ public:
 
     DisplayLine build_display_line(ColumnCount in_width)
     {
-        auto cleanup = [](StringView str) {
-            String res;
-            auto pos = str.begin();
-            for (auto it = str.begin(), end = str.end(); it != end; ++it)
-            {
-                char c = *it;
-                if (c == '\n' or c == '\r')
-                {
-                    res += StringView{pos, it};
-                    res += c == '\n' ? "␤" : "␍";
-                    pos = it+1;
-                }
-            }
-            res += StringView{pos, str.end()};
-            return res;
-        };
-
         CharCount width = (int)in_width; // Todo: proper handling of char/column
         kak_assert(m_cursor_pos <= m_line.char_length());
         if (m_cursor_pos < m_display_pos)
@@ -525,12 +508,12 @@ public:
             m_display_pos = m_cursor_pos + 1 - width;
 
         if (m_cursor_pos == m_line.char_length())
-            return DisplayLine{{ { cleanup(m_line.substr(m_display_pos, width-1)), get_face("StatusLine") },
+            return DisplayLine{{ { fix_atom_text(m_line.substr(m_display_pos, width-1)), get_face("StatusLine") },
                                  { " "_str, get_face("StatusCursor")} } };
         else
-            return DisplayLine({ { cleanup(m_line.substr(m_display_pos, m_cursor_pos - m_display_pos)), get_face("StatusLine") },
-                                 { cleanup(m_line.substr(m_cursor_pos,1)), get_face("StatusCursor") },
-                                 { cleanup(m_line.substr(m_cursor_pos+1, width - m_cursor_pos + m_display_pos - 1)), get_face("StatusLine") } });
+            return DisplayLine({ { fix_atom_text(m_line.substr(m_display_pos, m_cursor_pos - m_display_pos)), get_face("StatusLine") },
+                                 { fix_atom_text(m_line.substr(m_cursor_pos,1)), get_face("StatusCursor") },
+                                 { fix_atom_text(m_line.substr(m_cursor_pos+1, width - m_cursor_pos + m_display_pos - 1)), get_face("StatusLine") } });
     }
 private:
     CharCount m_cursor_pos = 0;
diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index 78b134cf9..bc8d955be 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ void use_selection_as_search_pattern(Context& context, NormalParams params)
     const char reg = to_lower(params.reg ? params.reg : '/');
 
     context.print_status({
-        format("register '{}' set to '{}'", reg, patterns[sels.main_index()]),
+        format("register '{}' set to '{}'", reg, fix_atom_text(patterns[sels.main_index()])),
         get_face("Information") });
 
     RegisterManager::instance()[reg].set(context, patterns);