diff --git a/deluge/ui/console/modes/basemode.py b/deluge/ui/console/modes/basemode.py
index d3b3e5754..bdaa5dfd5 100644
--- a/deluge/ui/console/modes/basemode.py
+++ b/deluge/ui/console/modes/basemode.py
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ def add_string(
 
     """
     try:
-        parsed = colors.parse_color_string(fstring, encoding)
+        parsed = colors.parse_color_string(fstring)
     except colors.BadColorString as ex:
         log.error('Cannot add bad color string %s: %s', fstring, ex)
         return
diff --git a/deluge/ui/console/modes/cmdline.py b/deluge/ui/console/modes/cmdline.py
index de0d7432b..59342bec6 100644
--- a/deluge/ui/console/modes/cmdline.py
+++ b/deluge/ui/console/modes/cmdline.py
@@ -538,21 +538,21 @@ class CmdLine(BaseMode, Commander):
         """
         col = 0
         try:
-            parsed = colors.parse_color_string(string, self.encoding)
+            parsed = colors.parse_color_string(string)
         except colors.BadColorString as ex:
             log.error('Cannot add bad color string %s: %s', string, ex)
             return
 
-        for index, (color, s) in enumerate(parsed):
+        for index, (color, p_str) in enumerate(parsed):
             if index + 1 == len(parsed):
                 # This is the last string so lets append some " " to it
-                s += ' ' * (self.cols - (col + strwidth(s)) - 1)
+                p_str += ' ' * (self.cols - (col + strwidth(p_str)) - 1)
             try:
-                self.stdscr.addstr(row, col, s.encode(self.encoding), color)
+                self.stdscr.addstr(row, col, p_str.encode(self.encoding), color)
             except curses.error:
                 pass
 
-            col += strwidth(s)
+            col += strwidth(p_str)
 
     def set_batch_write(self, batch):
         """
diff --git a/deluge/ui/console/utils/colors.py b/deluge/ui/console/utils/colors.py
index c07f3e4d4..587c1f3f6 100644
--- a/deluge/ui/console/utils/colors.py
+++ b/deluge/ui/console/utils/colors.py
@@ -175,37 +175,35 @@ def get_line_width(line):
     return format_utils.strwidth(line)
 
 
-def parse_color_string(s, encoding='UTF-8'):
-    """
-    Parses a string and returns a list of 2-tuples (color, string).
-
-    :param s:, string to parse
-    :param encoding: the encoding to use on output
+def parse_color_string(string):
+    """Parses a string and returns a list of 2-tuples (color, string).
 
+    Args:
+        string (str): The string to parse.
     """
-    check_tag_count(s)
+    check_tag_count(string)
 
     ret = []
     last_color_attr = None
     # Keep track of where the strings
-    while s.find(color_tag_start) != -1:
-        begin = s.find(color_tag_start)
+    while string.find(color_tag_start) != -1:
+        begin = string.find(color_tag_start)
         if begin > 0:
             ret.append(
                 (
                     curses.color_pair(
                         color_pairs[(schemes['input'][0], schemes['input'][1])]
                     ),
-                    s[:begin],
+                    string[:begin],
                 )
             )
 
-        end = s.find(color_tag_end)
+        end = string.find(color_tag_end)
         if end == -1:
             raise BadColorString('Missing closing "!}"')
 
         # Get a list of attributes in the bracketed section
-        attrs = s[begin + 2 : end].split(',')
+        attrs = string[begin + 2 : end].split(',')
 
         if len(attrs) == 1 and not attrs[0].strip(' '):
             raise BadColorString('No description in {! !}')
@@ -279,18 +277,18 @@ def parse_color_string(s, encoding='UTF-8'):
             last_color_attr = color_pair
         # We need to find the text now, so lets try to find another {! and if
         # there isn't one, then it's the rest of the string
-        next_begin = s.find(color_tag_start, end)
+        next_begin = string.find(color_tag_start, end)
 
         if next_begin == -1:
-            ret.append((color_pair, replace_tabs(s[end + 2 :])))
+            ret.append((color_pair, replace_tabs(string[end + 2 :])))
             break
         else:
-            ret.append((color_pair, replace_tabs(s[end + 2 : next_begin])))
-            s = s[next_begin:]
+            ret.append((color_pair, replace_tabs(string[end + 2 : next_begin])))
+            string = string[next_begin:]
 
     if not ret:
         # There was no color scheme so we add it with a 0 for white on black
-        ret = [(0, s)]
+        ret = [(0, string)]
     return ret