diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py
index f7552b429a..0cd0aa4657 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
         path = unicode(self.opt_auto_add_path.text()).strip()
         if path != gprefs['auto_add_path']:
             if path:
+                path = os.path.abspath(path)
+                self.opt_auto_add_path.setText(path)
                 if not os.path.isdir(path):
                     error_dialog(self, _('Invalid folder'),
                             _('You must specify an existing folder as your '
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
index dff5735cdd..77428e4c07 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(Recipe):
         article.sub_pages  = result[1][1:]
         self.jobs_done += 1
         self.report_progress(float(self.jobs_done)/len(self.jobs),
-            _(u'Article downloaded: %s')%repr(article.title))
+            _(u'Article downloaded: %s')%force_unicode(article.title))
         if result[2]:
             self.partial_failures.append((request.feed.title, article.title, article.url, result[2]))
 
@@ -1409,7 +1409,7 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(Recipe):
         self.log.debug(traceback)
         self.log.debug('\n')
         self.report_progress(float(self.jobs_done)/len(self.jobs),
-                _('Article download failed: %s')%repr(request.article.title))
+                _('Article download failed: %s')%force_unicode(request.article.title))
         self.failed_downloads.append((request.feed, request.article, traceback))
 
     def parse_feeds(self):