diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_processors/format_types/juce_VSTPluginFormat.cpp b/modules/juce_audio_processors/format_types/juce_VSTPluginFormat.cpp
index 0bee55f76e..16b6be0940 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_processors/format_types/juce_VSTPluginFormat.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_processors/format_types/juce_VSTPluginFormat.cpp
@@ -2582,7 +2582,7 @@ void VSTPluginInstance::updateStoredProgramNames()
 {
     if (effect != nullptr && getNumPrograms() > 0)
     {
-        char nm [256] = { 0 };
+        char nm[256] = { 0 };
 
         // only do this if the plugin can't use indexed names..
         if (dispatch (effGetProgramNameIndexed, 0, -1, nm, 0) == 0)
@@ -2605,24 +2605,28 @@ void VSTPluginInstance::updateStoredProgramNames()
 
 const String VSTPluginInstance::getCurrentProgramName()
 {
+    String name;
+
     if (effect != nullptr)
     {
-        char nm [256] = { 0 };
-        dispatch (effGetProgramName, 0, 0, nm, 0);
+        {
+            char nm[256] = { 0 };
+            dispatch (effGetProgramName, 0, 0, nm, 0);
+            name = String (CharPointer_UTF8 (nm)).trim();
+        }
 
         const int index = getCurrentProgram();
+
         if (programNames[index].isEmpty())
         {
             while (programNames.size() < index)
                 programNames.add (String::empty);
 
-            programNames.set (index, String (nm).trim());
+            programNames.set (index, name);
         }
-
-        return String (nm).trim();
     }
 
-    return String::empty;
+    return name;
 }
 
 //==============================================================================