diff --git a/bin/mpdevil b/bin/mpdevil
index 18480a7..dde7341 100755
--- a/bin/mpdevil
+++ b/bin/mpdevil
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ class EventEmitter(GObject.Object):
 		"single": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, (str,)),
 		"consume": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, (bool,)),
 		"audio": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, (str,)),
-		"bitrate": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, (float,)),
+		"bitrate": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, (str,)),
 		"add_to_playlist": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, (str,)),
 		"show_info": (GObject.SignalFlags.RUN_FIRST, None, ())
 	}
@@ -851,7 +851,10 @@ class Client(MPDClient):
 					else:
 						self.emitter.emit("elapsed_changed", 0.0, 0.0)
 				elif key == "bitrate":
-					self.emitter.emit("bitrate", float(val))
+					if val == "0":
+						self.emitter.emit("bitrate", None)
+					else:
+						self.emitter.emit("bitrate", val)
 				elif key == "songid":
 					self.emitter.emit("current_song_changed")
 				elif key in ("state", "single", "audio"):
@@ -874,7 +877,7 @@ class Client(MPDClient):
 				elif "updating_db" == key:
 					self.emitter.emit("update")
 				elif "bitrate" == key:
-					self.emitter.emit("bitrate", 0.0)
+					self.emitter.emit("bitrate", None)
 				elif "audio" == key:
 					self.emitter.emit("audio", None)
 			self._last_status=status
@@ -3359,7 +3362,8 @@ class AudioFormat(Gtk.Box):
 		super().__init__(spacing=6)
 		self._client=client
 		self._settings=settings
-		self._top_label=Gtk.Label(xalign=1)
+		self._file_type_label=Gtk.Label(xalign=1)
+		self._separator_label=Gtk.Label(xalign=1)
 		self._brate_label=Gtk.Label(xalign=1, width_chars=5)
 		self._format_label=Gtk.Label()
 		self.set_property("no-show-all", not(self._settings.get_boolean("show-audio-format")))
@@ -3376,7 +3380,8 @@ class AudioFormat(Gtk.Box):
 		# packing
 		hbox=Gtk.Box(halign=Gtk.Align.END)
 		hbox.pack_start(self._brate_label, False, False, 0)
-		hbox.pack_start(self._top_label, False, False, 0)
+		hbox.pack_start(self._separator_label, False, False, 0)
+		hbox.pack_start(self._file_type_label, False, False, 0)
 		vbox=Gtk.Box(orientation=Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL, valign=Gtk.Align.CENTER)
 		vbox.pack_start(hbox, False, False, 0)
 		vbox.pack_start(self._format_label, False, False, 0)
@@ -3391,16 +3396,22 @@ class AudioFormat(Gtk.Box):
 			self._format_label.set_markup("<small>"+ClientHelper.convert_audio_format(audio_format)+"</small>")
 
 	def _on_bitrate(self, emitter, brate):
-		self._brate_label.set_text(locale.str(brate))
+		# handle unknown bitrates: https://github.com/MusicPlayerDaemon/MPD/issues/428#issuecomment-442430365
+		if brate is None:
+			self._brate_label.set_text("–")
+		else:
+			self._brate_label.set_text(brate)
 
 	def _on_song_changed(self, *args):
 		current_song=self._client.currentsong()
 		if current_song == {}:
-			self._top_label.set_text(" kb/s")
+			self._file_type_label.set_text("")
+			self._separator_label.set_text(" kb/s")
 			self._format_label.set_markup("<small> </small>")
 		else:
 			file_type=current_song["file"].split(".")[-1].split("/")[0].upper()
-			self._top_label.set_text(" kb/s • "+file_type)
+			self._separator_label.set_text(" kb/s • ")
+			self._file_type_label.set_text(file_type)
 
 	def _on_mini_player(self, obj, typestring):
 		self._on_show_audio_format_changed()
@@ -3415,8 +3426,9 @@ class AudioFormat(Gtk.Box):
 
 	def _on_disconnected(self, *args):
 		self.set_sensitive(False)
-		self._brate_label.set_text(locale.str(0.0))
-		self._top_label.set_text(" kb/s")
+		self._brate_label.set_text("–")
+		self._separator_label.set_text(" kb/s")
+		self._file_type_label.set_text("")
 		self._format_label.set_markup("<small> </small>")
 
 	def _on_reconnected(self, *args):