diff --git a/nw/gui/doctree.py b/nw/gui/doctree.py
index 2f4477af..f75724a9 100644
--- a/nw/gui/doctree.py
+++ b/nw/gui/doctree.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
     C_COUNT  = 1
     C_EXPORT = 2
     C_FLAGS  = 3
-    C_HANDLE = 4
 
     def __init__(self, theParent, theProject):
         QTreeWidget.__init__(self, theParent)
@@ -69,9 +68,8 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
         self.setIconSize(QSize(iPx, iPx))
         self.setExpandsOnDoubleClick(True)
         self.setIndentation(iPx)
-        self.setColumnCount(5)
-        self.setHeaderLabels(["Label", "Words", "Inc", "Flags", "Handle"])
-        self.hideColumn(self.C_HANDLE)
+        self.setColumnCount(4)
+        self.setHeaderLabels(["Label", "Words", "Inc", "Flags"])
 
         treeHead = self.headerItem()
         treeHead.setTextAlignment(self.C_COUNT, Qt.AlignRight)
@@ -479,7 +477,7 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
                 pCount = 0
                 for i in range(pItem.childCount()):
                     pCount += int(pItem.child(i).text(self.C_COUNT))
-                    pHandle = pItem.text(self.C_HANDLE)
+                    pHandle = pItem.data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
                 if not nDepth > 200 and pHandle != "":
                     self.propagateCount(pHandle, pCount, nDepth+1)
         return
@@ -521,17 +519,17 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
         if len(selItem) == 0:
             return None
         if isinstance(selItem[0], QTreeWidgetItem):
-            return selItem[0].text(self.C_HANDLE)
+            return selItem[0].data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
         return None
 
     def getSelectedHandles(self):
         """Return a list of all currently selected item handles.
         """
-        selItems   = self.selectedItems()
+        selItems = self.selectedItems()
         selHandles = []
         for n in range(len(selItems)):
             if isinstance(selItems[n], QTreeWidgetItem):
-                selHandles.append(selItems[n].text(self.C_HANDLE))
+                selHandles.append(selItems[n].data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole))
         return selHandles
 
     def setSelectedHandle(self, tHandle):
@@ -563,8 +561,8 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
         """This is a recursive function returning all items in a tree
         starting at a given QTreeWidgetItem.
         """
-        tHandle = theItem.text(self.C_HANDLE)
-        nwItem  = self.theProject.projTree[tHandle]
+        tHandle = theItem.data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
+        nwItem = self.theProject.projTree[tHandle]
         nwItem.setExpanded(theItem.isExpanded())
         nwItem.setOrder(theIndex)
         theList.append(tHandle)
@@ -585,7 +583,6 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
         newItem.setText(self.C_COUNT,  "0")
         newItem.setText(self.C_EXPORT, "")
         newItem.setText(self.C_FLAGS,  "")
-        newItem.setText(self.C_HANDLE, tHandle)
 
         newItem.setTextAlignment(self.C_NAME,   Qt.AlignLeft  | Qt.AlignVCenter)
         newItem.setTextAlignment(self.C_COUNT,  Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignVCenter)
@@ -596,6 +593,8 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
         newItem.setFont(self.C_COUNT, self.theTheme.guiFont)
         newItem.setFont(self.C_FLAGS, self.theTheme.guiFont)
 
+        newItem.setData(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole, tHandle)
+
         self.theMap[tHandle] = newItem
         if pHandle is None:
             if nwItem.itemType == nwItemType.ROOT:
@@ -649,10 +648,10 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
             newItem.setText(self.C_COUNT,  "")
             newItem.setText(self.C_EXPORT, "")
             newItem.setText(self.C_FLAGS,  "")
-            newItem.setText(self.C_HANDLE, "")
             self.addTopLevelItem(newItem)
             self.orphRoot = newItem
             newItem.setExpanded(True)
+            newItem.setData(self.C_NAME, "")
             newItem.setIcon(self.C_NAME, self.theTheme.getIcon("warning"))
         return
 
@@ -677,7 +676,7 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
             logger.error("Failed to find new parent item of %s" % tHandle)
             return False
 
-        pHandle = trItemP.text(self.C_HANDLE)
+        pHandle = trItemP.data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
         wC = int(trItemS.text(self.C_COUNT))
         self.propagateCount(tHandle, -wC)
         nwItemS.setParent(pHandle)
@@ -702,7 +701,7 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
         if trItemP is None:
             logger.error("Failed to find new parent item of %s" % tHandle)
             return
-        pHandle = trItemP.text(self.C_HANDLE)
+        pHandle = trItemP.data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
         nwItemS.setParent(pHandle)
         self.setTreeItemValues(tHandle)
         self.theProject.setProjectChanged(True)
@@ -737,7 +736,7 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
             return
 
         dItem   = self.itemFromIndex(dIndex)
-        dHandle = dItem.text(self.C_HANDLE)
+        dHandle = dItem.data(self.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
         snItem  = self.theProject.projTree[sHandle]
         dnItem  = self.theProject.projTree[dHandle]
         if dnItem is None:
diff --git a/nw/guimain.py b/nw/guimain.py
index bfc98c71..1ae36848 100644
--- a/nw/guimain.py
+++ b/nw/guimain.py
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
         """The user double-clicked an item in the tree. If it is a file,
         we open it. Otherwise, we do nothing.
         """
-        tHandle = tItem.text(self.treeView.C_HANDLE)
+        tHandle = tItem.data(self.treeView.C_NAME, Qt.UserRole)
         logger.verbose("User double clicked tree item with handle %s" % tHandle)
         nwItem = self.theProject.projTree[tHandle]
         if nwItem is not None: