diff --git a/src/plugins/plugin_sec_otr.py b/src/plugins/plugin_sec_otr.py
index a64592db..92aebda5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/plugin_sec_otr.py
+++ b/src/plugins/plugin_sec_otr.py
@@ -154,11 +154,28 @@ class OTR(object):
 
     def __init__(self, host):
         log.info(_(u"OTR plugin initialization"))
+        self._fixPotr() # FIXME: to be removed when potr will be fixed
         self.host = host
         self.context_managers = {}
         host.trigger.add("MessageReceived", self.MessageReceivedTrigger, priority=100000)
         host.trigger.add("sendMessage", self.sendMessageTrigger, priority=100000)
 
+    def _fixPotr(self):
+        # FIXME: potr fix for bad unicode handling
+        # this method monkeypatch it, must be removed when potr
+        # is fixed
+
+        def getDefaultQueryMessage(self, policy):
+            defaultQuery = '?OTRv{versions}?\nI would like to start ' \
+                           'an Off-the-Record private conversation. However, you ' \
+                           'do not have a plugin to support that.\nSee '\
+                           'https://otr.cypherpunks.ca/ for more information.'
+            v = '2' if policy('ALLOW_V2') else ''
+            msg = defaultQuery.format(versions=v)
+            return msg.encode('ascii')
+
+        potr.context.Account.getDefaultQueryMessage = getDefaultQueryMessage
+
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def profileConnected(self, profile):
         client = self.host.getClient(profile)