diff --git a/addons/point_of_sale/static/src/js/widget_base.js b/addons/point_of_sale/static/src/js/widget_base.js
index 648ab725f9e..443d66647a1 100644
--- a/addons/point_of_sale/static/src/js/widget_base.js
+++ b/addons/point_of_sale/static/src/js/widget_base.js
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ function openerp_pos_basewidget(instance, module){ //module is instance.point_of
                     amount = amount.toFixed(decimals);
                 }
                 if(this.currency.position === 'after'){
-                    return amount + ' ' + this.currency.symbol;
+                    return amount + ' ' + (this.currency.symbol || '');
                 }else{
-                    return this.currency.symbol + ' ' + amount;
+                    return (this.currency.symbol || '') + ' ' + amount;
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_translation.py b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_translation.py
index 5cae25cc0ad..15c0a2a7c7e 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_translation.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_translation.py
@@ -333,11 +333,11 @@ class ir_translation(osv.osv):
                            AND name=%s""",
                     (lang or '', types, tools.ustr(name)))
         res = cr.fetchone()
-        trad = res and tools.ustr(res[0]) or u''
+        trad = res and res[0] or u''
         if source and not trad:
             return tools.ustr(source)
         # Remove control characters
-        return filter(lambda c: unicodedata.category(c) != 'Cc', trad)
+        return filter(lambda c: unicodedata.category(c) != 'Cc', tools.ustr(trad))
 
     def create(self, cr, uid, vals, context=None):
         if context is None: