diff --git a/libs/pbd/string_convert.cc b/libs/pbd/string_convert.cc
index 3a46b8a682..a543c96ff1 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/string_convert.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/string_convert.cc
@@ -210,9 +210,9 @@ bool string_to_double (const std::string& str, double& val)
 bool bool_to_string (bool val, std::string& str)
 {
 	if (val) {
-		str = X_("yes");
+		str = X_("1");
 	} else {
-		str = X_("no");
+		str = X_("0");
 	}
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/libs/pbd/test/string_convert_test.cc b/libs/pbd/test/string_convert_test.cc
index 2f06ad9c52..27a24c54ef 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/test/string_convert_test.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/test/string_convert_test.cc
@@ -564,8 +564,8 @@ StringConvertTest::test_double_conversion ()
 }
 
 // we have to use these as CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL won't accept char arrays
-static const std::string BOOL_TRUE_STR ("yes");
-static const std::string BOOL_FALSE_STR ("no");
+static const std::string BOOL_TRUE_STR ("1");
+static const std::string BOOL_FALSE_STR ("0");
 
 void
 StringConvertTest::test_bool_conversion ()