diff --git a/src/news_gui.cpp b/src/news_gui.cpp
index 0a920ecd95..6527528741 100644
--- a/src/news_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/news_gui.cpp
@@ -1099,37 +1099,13 @@ void ShowLastNewsMessage()
  */
 static void DrawNewsString(uint left, uint right, int y, TextColour colour, const NewsItem *ni)
 {
-	char buffer[512], buffer2[512];
-	StringID str;
-
 	CopyInDParam(0, ni->params, lengthof(ni->params));
-	str = ni->string_id;
 
-	GetString(buffer, str, lastof(buffer));
-	/* Copy the just gotten string to another buffer to remove any formatting
-	 * from it such as big fonts, etc. */
-	const char *ptr = buffer;
-	char *dest = buffer2;
-	WChar c_last = '\0';
-	for (;;) {
-		WChar c = Utf8Consume(&ptr);
-		if (c == 0) break;
-		/* Make a space from a newline, but ignore multiple newlines */
-		if (c == '\n' && c_last != '\n') {
-			dest[0] = ' ';
-			dest++;
-		} else if (c == '\r') {
-			dest[0] = dest[1] = dest[2] = dest[3] = ' ';
-			dest += 4;
-		} else if (IsPrintable(c)) {
-			dest += Utf8Encode(dest, c);
-		}
-		c_last = c;
-	}
+	/* Get the string, replaces newlines with spaces and remove control codes from the string. */
+	std::string message = StrMakeValid(GetString(ni->string_id), SVS_REPLACE_TAB_CR_NL_WITH_SPACE);
 
-	*dest = '\0';
 	/* Truncate and show string; postfixed by '...' if necessary */
-	DrawString(left, right, y, buffer2, colour);
+	DrawString(left, right, y, message, colour);
 }
 
 struct MessageHistoryWindow : Window {
diff --git a/src/statusbar_gui.cpp b/src/statusbar_gui.cpp
index 303fb0050c..3bb731a706 100644
--- a/src/statusbar_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/statusbar_gui.cpp
@@ -40,39 +40,18 @@
 static bool DrawScrollingStatusText(const NewsItem *ni, int scroll_pos, int left, int right, int top, int bottom)
 {
 	CopyInDParam(0, ni->params, lengthof(ni->params));
-	StringID str = ni->string_id;
 
-	char buf[512];
-	GetString(buf, str, lastof(buf));
-	const char *s = buf;
-
-	char buffer[256];
-	char *d = buffer;
-	const char *last = lastof(buffer);
-
-	for (;;) {
-		WChar c = Utf8Consume(&s);
-		if (c == 0) {
-			break;
-		} else if (c == '\n') {
-			if (d + 4 >= last) break;
-			d[0] = d[1] = d[2] = d[3] = ' ';
-			d += 4;
-		} else if (IsPrintable(c)) {
-			if (d + Utf8CharLen(c) >= last) break;
-			d += Utf8Encode(d, c);
-		}
-	}
-	*d = '\0';
+	/* Replace newlines and the likes with spaces. */
+	std::string message = StrMakeValid(GetString(ni->string_id), SVS_REPLACE_TAB_CR_NL_WITH_SPACE);
 
 	DrawPixelInfo tmp_dpi;
 	if (!FillDrawPixelInfo(&tmp_dpi, left, top, right - left, bottom)) return true;
 
-	int width = GetStringBoundingBox(buffer).width;
+	int width = GetStringBoundingBox(message).width;
 	int pos = (_current_text_dir == TD_RTL) ? (scroll_pos - width) : (right - scroll_pos - left);
 
 	AutoRestoreBackup dpi_backup(_cur_dpi, &tmp_dpi);
-	DrawString(pos, INT16_MAX, 0, buffer, TC_LIGHT_BLUE, SA_LEFT | SA_FORCE);
+	DrawString(pos, INT16_MAX, 0, message, TC_LIGHT_BLUE, SA_LEFT | SA_FORCE);
 
 	return (_current_text_dir == TD_RTL) ? (pos < right - left) : (pos + width > 0);
 }