diff --git a/lib/awful/prompt.lua.in b/lib/awful/prompt.lua.in
index cc3a4475..afebeb58 100644
--- a/lib/awful/prompt.lua.in
+++ b/lib/awful/prompt.lua.in
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ function run(args, textbox, exe_callback, completion_callback, history_path, his
     history_check_load(history_path, history_max)
     local history_index = history_items(history_path) + 1
     -- The cursor position
-    local cur_pos = (args.selectall and 1) or text:len() + 1
+    local cur_pos = (args.selectall and 1) or text:wlen() + 1
     -- The completion element to use on completion request.
     local ncomp = 1
     if not textbox or not exe_callback then
@@ -288,9 +288,9 @@ function run(args, textbox, exe_callback, completion_callback, history_path, his
                     cur_pos = 1
                 end
             else
-                -- len() is UTF-8 aware but #key is not,
+                -- wlen() is UTF-8 aware but #key is not,
                 -- so check that we have one UTF-8 char but advance the cursor of # position
-                if key:len() == 1 then
+                if key:wlen() == 1 then
                     if args.selectall then command = "" end
                     command = command:sub(1, cur_pos - 1) .. key .. command:sub(cur_pos)
                     cur_pos = cur_pos + #key
diff --git a/luaa.c b/luaa.c
index f63e339a..ee3b5491 100644
--- a/luaa.c
+++ b/luaa.c
@@ -319,10 +319,10 @@ CHECK_TYPE(widget);
 static void
 luaA_fixups(lua_State *L)
 {
-    /* replace string.len */
+    /* export string.wlen */
     lua_getglobal(L, "string");
     lua_pushcfunction(L, luaA_mbstrlen);
-    lua_setfield(L, -2, "len");
+    lua_setfield(L, -2, "wlen");
     lua_pop(L, 1);
     /* replace next */
     lua_pushliteral(L, "next");