diff --git a/dic/dic.cpp b/dic/dic.cpp
index f27dd33..7bf3ccc 100644
--- a/dic/dic.cpp
+++ b/dic/dic.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include "config.h"
 
 #include <fstream>
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cerrno>
@@ -45,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "header.h"
 #include "dic_exception.h"
 #include "dic_internals.h"
+#include "encoding.h"
 #include "tile.h"
 
 
@@ -81,14 +81,10 @@ Dictionary::Dictionary(const string &iPath)
     initializeTiles();
 
     // Concatenate the uppercase and lowercase letters
-    wstring lower = m_header->getLetters();
-    std::transform(lower.begin(), lower.end(), lower.begin(), towlower);
-    m_allLetters = m_header->getLetters() + lower;
+    m_allLetters = m_header->getLetters() + toLower(m_header->getLetters());
 
     // Same for the input characters
-    lower = m_header->getInputChars();
-    std::transform(lower.begin(), lower.end(), lower.begin(), towlower);
-    m_allInputChars = m_header->getInputChars() + lower;
+    m_allInputChars = m_header->getInputChars() + toLower(m_header->getInputChars());
 
     // Build the cache for the convertToDisplay() and convertFromInput()
     // methods.
@@ -100,10 +96,9 @@ Dictionary::Dictionary(const string &iPath)
         BOOST_FOREACH(wstring str, it->second)
         {
             // Make sure the string is in uppercase
-            std::transform(str.begin(), str.end(), str.begin(), towupper);
+            str = toUpper(str);
             // Make a lowercase copy
-            wstring lower = str;
-            std::transform(lower.begin(), lower.end(), lower.begin(), towlower);
+            wstring lower = toLower(str);
             // Fill the cache
             m_displayInputCache[towupper(it->first)].push_back(str);
             m_displayInputCache[towlower(it->first)].push_back(lower);
diff --git a/dic/dic_search.cpp b/dic/dic_search.cpp
index 71028cb..536d6b4 100644
--- a/dic/dic_search.cpp
+++ b/dic/dic_search.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cwchar>
 #include <cwctype>
-#include <algorithm>
 
 #include "dic_internals.h"
 #include "dic_exception.h"
@@ -233,8 +232,7 @@ void Dictionary::searchRacc(const wstring &iWord,
     // Transform the given word to make it suitable for display
     wdstring displayWord = convertToDisplay(iWord);
     // Make it uppercase
-    std::transform(displayWord.begin(), displayWord.end(),
-                   displayWord.begin(), towupper);
+    displayWord = toUpper(displayWord);
 
     // Try to add a letter at the front
     const wstring &letters = getHeader().getLetters();
@@ -288,8 +286,7 @@ void Dictionary::searchBenj(const wstring &iWord, vector<wdstring> &oWordList,
     // Transform the given word to make it suitable for display
     wdstring displayWord = convertToDisplay(iWord);
     // Make it uppercase
-    std::transform(displayWord.begin(), displayWord.end(),
-                   displayWord.begin(), towupper);
+    displayWord = toUpper(displayWord);
 
     const DicEdge *edge0, *edge1, *edge2, *edgetst;
     edge0 = getEdgeAt(getRoot());
diff --git a/dic/grammar.cpp b/dic/grammar.cpp
index a16f50e..570bd38 100644
--- a/dic/grammar.cpp
+++ b/dic/grammar.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "dic.h"
 #include "header.h"
+#include "encoding.h"
 #include "regexp.h"
 
 using namespace boost::spirit::classic;
@@ -54,9 +55,7 @@ struct RegexpGrammar : grammar<RegexpGrammar>
 
     RegexpGrammar(const wstring &letters)
     {
-        wstring lower = letters;
-        std::transform(lower.begin(), lower.end(), lower.begin(), towlower);
-        m_allLetters = letters + lower;
+        m_allLetters = letters + toLower(letters);
     }
 
     template <typename ScannerT>
@@ -138,8 +137,7 @@ void evaluate(const Header &iHeader, iter_t const& i, stack<Node*> &evalStack,
 
         wstring choiceLetters(i->value.begin(), i->value.end());
         // Make sure the letters are in upper case
-        std::transform(choiceLetters.begin(), choiceLetters.end(),
-                       choiceLetters.begin(), towupper);
+        choiceLetters = toUpper(choiceLetters);
         // The dictionary letters are already in upper case
         const wstring &letters = iHeader.getLetters();
         wstring::const_iterator itLetter;
diff --git a/dic/header.cpp b/dic/header.cpp
index f4100e5..cfb8b20 100644
--- a/dic/header.cpp
+++ b/dic/header.cpp
@@ -637,9 +637,7 @@ wstring Header::writeDisplayAndInput() const
         BOOST_FOREACH(const wstring &str, it->second)
         {
             // Make sure the string is uppercase
-            wstring upStr = str;
-            std::transform(upStr.begin(), upStr.end(), upStr.begin(), towupper);
-            serialized += L"|" + upStr;
+            serialized += L"|" + toUpper(str);
         }
     }
     return serialized;
diff --git a/dic/tile.cpp b/dic/tile.cpp
index a29f204..aae5995 100644
--- a/dic/tile.cpp
+++ b/dic/tile.cpp
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@
 
 #include <sstream>
 #include <string>
-#include <algorithm>
-#include <wctype.h>
+#include <cwctype>
 #include "tile.h"
 #include "header.h"
 #include "encoding.h"
@@ -30,6 +29,9 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 
 
+using namespace std;
+
+
 INIT_LOGGER(dic, Tile);
 
 
@@ -114,9 +116,7 @@ wstring Tile::getDisplayStr() const
         throw DicException("Tile::getDisplayStr: Invalid tile");
     if (m_joker && iswalpha(m_char))
     {
-        wstring str = m_header->getDisplayStr(m_code);
-        std::transform(str.begin(), str.end(), str.begin(), towlower);
-        return str;
+        return ::toLower(m_header->getDisplayStr(m_code));
     }
     return m_header->getDisplayStr(m_code);
 }
diff --git a/game/arbitration.cpp b/game/arbitration.cpp
index 5e6f63f..e9049f2 100644
--- a/game/arbitration.cpp
+++ b/game/arbitration.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
-#include <algorithm> // For transform
-#include <cwctype> // For towupper
 
 #include "arbitration.h"
 #include "rack.h"
@@ -62,9 +60,7 @@ void Arbitration::setRackManual(const wstring &iLetters)
     // coming from user input. We do not consider a lowercase
     // letter to be a joker which has been assigned to a letter.
     // As a result, we simply make all the letters uppercase
-    wstring upperLetters = iLetters;
-    std::transform(upperLetters.begin(), upperLetters.end(),
-                   upperLetters.begin(), towupper);
+    const wstring &upperLetters = toUpper(iLetters);
     const PlayedRack &newRack = helperSetRackManual(false, upperLetters);
     setGameAndPlayersRack(newRack);
 }
diff --git a/game/board.cpp b/game/board.cpp
index f14062d..c3a6699 100644
--- a/game/board.cpp
+++ b/game/board.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  *****************************************************************************/
 
-#include <wctype.h>
-#include <algorithm>
+#include <cwctype>
 #include <cstdio>
 
 #include "dic.h"
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "round.h"
 #include "rack.h"
 #include "results.h"
+#include "encoding.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 
 #define oo 0
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ wstring Board::getDisplayStr(int iRow, int iCol) const
            "Trying to get the display string on an empty board square");
     wstring str = getTile(iRow, iCol).getDisplayStr();
     if (isJoker(iRow, iCol))
-        std::transform(str.begin(), str.end(), str.begin(), towlower);
+        str = toLower(str);
     return str;
 }
 
diff --git a/game/move.cpp b/game/move.cpp
index d2f725c..47d2275 100644
--- a/game/move.cpp
+++ b/game/move.cpp
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@
 
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <wctype.h>
 #include <sstream>
 
 #include "move.h"
 #include "rack.h"
 #include "pldrack.h"
+#include "encoding.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 
 
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ Move::Move(const wstring &iLetters)
     : m_score(0), m_letters(iLetters)
 {
     // Make the letters uppercase
-    std::transform(m_letters.begin(), m_letters.end(),
-                   m_letters.begin(), towupper);
+    m_letters = toUpper(m_letters);
 
     if (m_letters.empty())
         m_type = PASS;
diff --git a/game/round.cpp b/game/round.cpp
index f4182d9..7e02da7 100644
--- a/game/round.cpp
+++ b/game/round.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
-#include <algorithm> // For std::transform
 #include <wctype.h>
 #include "tile.h"
 #include "round.h"
@@ -124,7 +123,7 @@ wstring Round::getWord() const
     {
         wstring chr = getTile(i).getDisplayStr();
         if (isJoker(i))
-            std::transform(chr.begin(), chr.end(), chr.begin(), towlower);
+            chr = toLower(chr);
         s += chr;
     }
     return s;
diff --git a/game/training.cpp b/game/training.cpp
index ac1b997..0a38ad2 100644
--- a/game/training.cpp
+++ b/game/training.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  *****************************************************************************/
 
-#include <algorithm>
-#include <cwctype> // For towupper
-
 #include "config.h"
 #if ENABLE_NLS
 #   include <libintl.h>
@@ -77,9 +74,7 @@ void Training::setRackManual(bool iCheck, const wstring &iLetters)
     // coming from user input. We do not consider a lowercase
     // letter to be a joker which has been assigned to a letter.
     // As a result, we simply make all the letters uppercase
-    wstring upperLetters = iLetters;
-    std::transform(upperLetters.begin(), upperLetters.end(),
-                   upperLetters.begin(), towupper);
+    wstring upperLetters = toUpper(iLetters);
     const PlayedRack &newRack = helperSetRackManual(iCheck, upperLetters);
     Command *pCmd1 = new GameRackCmd(*this, newRack);
     pCmd1->setHumanIndependent(false);
diff --git a/qt/dic_tools_widget.cpp b/qt/dic_tools_widget.cpp
index 4eef9bd..dada39a 100644
--- a/qt/dic_tools_widget.cpp
+++ b/qt/dic_tools_widget.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 #include <map>
 #include <vector>
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <QtGui/QTreeView>
 #include <QtGui/QStandardItemModel>
@@ -39,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "dic.h"
 #include "header.h"
 #include "listdic.h"
+#include "encoding.h"
 #include "dic_exception.h"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void DicToolsWidget::refreshCheck()
         wstring input = m_dic->convertFromInput(wfq(rack->text()));
         bool res = m_dic->searchWord(input);
         // Convert the input to uppercase
-        std::transform(input.begin(), input.end(), input.begin(), towupper);
+        input = toUpper(input);
         const wdstring &dispStr = m_dic->convertToDisplay(input);
         if (res)
         {
diff --git a/qt/tile_widget.cpp b/qt/tile_widget.cpp
index 5fb7e15..37fe799 100644
--- a/qt/tile_widget.cpp
+++ b/qt/tile_widget.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  *****************************************************************************/
 
-#include <algorithm> // For std::transform
 #include <QtGui/QPainter>
 #include <QtGui/QPaintEvent>
 #include <QtCore/QSettings>
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "prefs_dialog.h"
 #include "qtcommon.h"
 #include "tile.h"
+#include "encoding.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -181,9 +181,8 @@ void TileWidget::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *iEvent)
     // Draw the letter
     if (!m_tile.isEmpty())
     {
-        wstring chr = m_tile.getDisplayStr();
+        wstring chr = toUpper(m_tile.getDisplayStr());
         // Make the display char in upper case
-        std::transform(chr.begin(), chr.end(), chr.begin(), towupper);
         painter.setPen(m_isJoker ? TextJokerColour : TextNormalColour);
         painter.setFont(letterFont);
         if (!m_tile.isPureJoker())