diff --git a/doc/config b/doc/config
index 4109f6eb..bcef80e7 100644
--- a/doc/config
+++ b/doc/config
@@ -208,7 +208,9 @@
 ## - r - column will be right aligned
 ## - E - if tag is empty, empty tag marker won't be displayed
 ##
-## E.g. {lr} will give you right aligned column of lengths.
+## You can also give a column custom name by putting it after
+## attributes, separated with character ':', e.g. {lr:Length}
+## gives you right aligned column of lengths named "Length".
 ##
 #
 #song_columns_list_format = "(7f)[green]{l} (25)[cyan]{a} (40)[]{t} (30)[red]{b}"
diff --git a/src/display.cpp b/src/display.cpp
index 0e6464a2..c934857c 100644
--- a/src/display.cpp
+++ b/src/display.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ std::string Display::Columns()
 	if (Config.columns.empty())
 		return "";
 	
-	std::string result, tag;
+	std::basic_string<my_char_t> result, tag;
 	size_t where = 0;
 	int width;
 	
@@ -46,71 +46,79 @@ std::string Display::Columns()
 		else
 			width = it->width*(it->fixed ? 1 : COLS/100.0);
 		
-		switch (it->type)
+		if (it->name.empty())
 		{
-			case 'l':
-				tag = "Time";
-				break;
-			case 'f':
-				tag = "Filename";
-				break;
-			case 'D':
-				tag = "Directory";
-				break;
-			case 'a':
-				tag = "Artist";
-				break;
-			case 'A':
-				tag = "Album Artist";
-				break;
-			case 't':
-				tag = "Title";
-				break;
-			case 'b':
-				tag = "Album";
-				break;
-			case 'y':
-				tag = "Year";
-				break;
-			case 'n':
-			case 'N':
-				tag = "Track";
-				break;
-			case 'g':
-				tag = "Genre";
-				break;
-			case 'c':
-				tag = "Composer";
-				break;
-			case 'p':
-				tag = "Performer";
-				break;
-			case 'd':
-				tag = "Disc";
-				break;
-			case 'C':
-				tag = "Comment";
-				break;
-			default:
-				tag.clear();
-				break;
+			switch (it->type)
+			{
+				case 'l':
+					tag = U("Time");
+					break;
+				case 'f':
+					tag = U("Filename");
+					break;
+				case 'D':
+					tag = U("Directory");
+					break;
+				case 'a':
+					tag = U("Artist");
+					break;
+				case 'A':
+					tag = U("Album Artist");
+					break;
+				case 't':
+					tag = U("Title");
+					break;
+				case 'b':
+					tag = U("Album");
+					break;
+				case 'y':
+					tag = U("Year");
+					break;
+				case 'n':
+				case 'N':
+					tag = U("Track");
+					break;
+				case 'g':
+					tag = U("Genre");
+					break;
+				case 'c':
+					tag = U("Composer");
+					break;
+				case 'p':
+					tag = U("Performer");
+					break;
+				case 'd':
+					tag = U("Disc");
+					break;
+				case 'C':
+					tag = U("Comment");
+					break;
+				default:
+					tag.clear();
+					break;
+			}
 		}
+		else
+			tag = it->name;
 		if (it->right_alignment)
 		{
 			long i = width-tag.length()-(it != Config.columns.begin());
 			if (i > 0)
-				result += std::string(i, ' ');
+				result.resize(result.length()+i, ' ');
 		}
 		
 		where += width;
 		result += tag;
 		
 		if (result.length() > where)
-			result = result.substr(0, where);
+		{
+			result.resize(where);
+			result += ' ';
+		}
 		else
-			for (size_t i = result.length(); i <= where && i < size_t(COLS); ++i, result += ' ') { }
+			result.resize(std::min(where+1, size_t(COLS)), ' ');
 	}
-	return result;
+	return TO_STRING(result);
 }
 
 void Display::SongsInColumns(const MPD::Song &s, void *, Menu<MPD::Song> *menu)
diff --git a/src/helpers.cpp b/src/helpers.cpp
index 356ad5f7..9e1893d5 100644
--- a/src/helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers.cpp
@@ -338,8 +338,9 @@ std::string FindSharedDir(const std::string &one, const std::string &two)
 std::string GetLineValue(std::string &line, char a, char b, bool once)
 {
 	int pos[2] = { -1, -1 };
-	size_t i;
-	for (i = line.find(a); i != std::string::npos && pos[1] < 0; i = line.find(b, i))
+	char x = a;
+	size_t i = 0;
+	while ((i = line.find(x, i)) != std::string::npos && pos[1] < 0)
 	{
 		if (i && line[i-1] == '\\')
 		{
@@ -349,10 +350,22 @@ std::string GetLineValue(std::string &line, char a, char b, bool once)
 		if (once)
 			line[i] = 0;
 		pos[pos[0] >= 0] = i++;
+		if (x == a)
+			x = b;
 	}
-	pos[0]++;
+	++pos[0];
 	std::string result = pos[0] >= 0 && pos[1] >= 0 ? line.substr(pos[0], pos[1]-pos[0]) : "";
-	Replace(result, "\\\"", "\"");
+	
+	// replace \a and \b to a and b respectively
+	char r1[] = "\\ ", r2[] = " ";
+	r1[1] = r2[0] = a;
+	Replace(result, r1, r2);
+	if (a != b)
+	{
+		r1[1] = r2[0] = b;
+		Replace(result, r1, r2);
+	}
+	
 	return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index adb4a87c..7e23eadb 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -1143,7 +1143,8 @@ void NcmpcppConfig::Read()
 	}
 	f.close();
 	
-	for (std::string width = GetLineValue(song_list_columns_format, '(', ')', 1); !width.empty(); width = GetLineValue(song_list_columns_format, '(', ')', 1))
+	std::string width;
+	while (!(width = GetLineValue(song_list_columns_format, '(', ')', 1)).empty())
 	{
 		Column col;
 		col.color = IntoColor(GetLineValue(song_list_columns_format, '[', ']', 1));
@@ -1156,6 +1157,15 @@ void NcmpcppConfig::Read()
 			col.display_empty_tag = 0;
 		}
 		col.fixed = *width.rbegin() == 'f';
+		
+		// alternative name
+		size_t tag_type_colon_pos = tag_type.find(':');
+		if (tag_type_colon_pos != std::string::npos)
+		{
+			col.name = TO_WSTRING(tag_type.substr(tag_type_colon_pos+1));
+			tag_type.resize(tag_type_colon_pos);
+		}
+		
 		for (std::string::const_iterator it = tag_type.begin()+(tag_type.length() > 0); it != tag_type.end(); ++it)
 		{
 			switch (*it)
diff --git a/src/settings.h b/src/settings.h
index 4040d43c..f9264f6e 100644
--- a/src/settings.h
+++ b/src/settings.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct Column
 {
 	Column() : right_alignment(0), display_empty_tag(1) { }
 	
+	std::basic_string<my_char_t> name;
 	unsigned width;
 	Color color;
 	char type;