diff --git a/src/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl b/src/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl
index 9bd00fe7294c..d48394f3d6aa 100644
--- a/src/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl
+++ b/src/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl
@@ -42,16 +42,16 @@ import Hecke: conductor, data
 ################################################################################
 
 @attributes mutable struct QQAbField{T} <: Nemo.Field # union of cyclotomic fields
-  s::String
   fields::Dict{Int, T} # Cache for the cyclotomic fields
+  s::String
 
-  function QQAbField{T}(s::String, fields::Dict{Int, T}) where T
-    return new(s, fields)
+  function QQAbField{T}(fields::Dict{Int, T}) where T
+    return new(fields)
   end
 end
 
-const _QQAb = QQAbField{AnticNumberField}("ζ", Dict{Int, AnticNumberField}())
-const _QQAb_sparse = QQAbField{NfAbsNS}("ζ", Dict{Int, NfAbsNS}())
+const _QQAb = QQAbField{AnticNumberField}(Dict{Int, AnticNumberField}())
+const _QQAb_sparse = QQAbField{NfAbsNS}(Dict{Int, NfAbsNS}())
 
 mutable struct QQAbElem{T} <: Nemo.FieldElem
   data::T                             # Element in cyclotomic field
@@ -150,14 +150,25 @@ parent(::QQAbElem{NfAbsNSElem}) = _QQAb_sparse
 #
 ################################################################################
 
-_variable(K::QQAbField) = K.s
+function _variable(K::QQAbField)
+  if isdefined(K, :s)
+    return K.s
+  else
+    if Oscar.is_unicode_allowed()
+      return "ζ"
+    else
+      return "z"
+    end
+  end
+end
+
 _variable(b::QQAbElem{nf_elem}) = Expr(:call, Symbol(_variable(_QQAb)), b.c)
 
 function _variable(b::QQAbElem{NfAbsNSElem}) 
   k = parent(b.data)
   lc = get_attribute(k, :decom)
   n = get_attribute(k, :cyclo)
-  return [Expr(:call, Symbol(_variable(_QQAb)), n, divexact(n, i)) for i = lc]
+  return [Expr(:call, Symbol(_variable(parent(b))), n, divexact(n, i)) for i = lc]
 end
 
 function Hecke.cyclotomic_field(K::QQAbField{AnticNumberField}, c::Int)
@@ -165,7 +176,7 @@ function Hecke.cyclotomic_field(K::QQAbField{AnticNumberField}, c::Int)
     k = K.fields[c]
     return k, gen(k)
   else
-    k, z = CyclotomicField(c, string(K.s, "(", c, ")"), cached = false)
+    k, z = CyclotomicField(c, string("\$", "(", c, ")"), cached = false)
     K.fields[c] = k
     return k, z
   end
@@ -186,7 +197,7 @@ function Hecke.cyclotomic_field(K::QQAbField{NfAbsNS}, c::Int)
     k = K.fields[c]
     return k, ns_gen(k)
   else
-    k, _ = cyclotomic_field(NonSimpleNumField, c, string(K.s))
+    k, _ = cyclotomic_field(NonSimpleNumField, c, "\$")
     K.fields[c] = k
     return k, ns_gen(k)
   end
@@ -311,6 +322,7 @@ end
 function Base.show(io::IO, a::QQAbField{NfAbsNS})
   print(io, "(Sparse) abelian closure of Q")
 end
+
 function Base.show(io::IO, a::QQAbField{AnticNumberField})
   print(io, "Abelian closure of Q")
 end
@@ -330,7 +342,7 @@ Change the printing of the primitive n-th root of the abelian closure of the
 rationals to `s(n)`, where `s` is the supplied string.
 """
 function set_variable!(K::QQAbField, s::String)
-  ss = K.s
+  ss = _variable(K)
   K.s = s
   return ss
 end
diff --git a/test/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl b/test/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl
index 5a438405db51..e4e3b799dc7f 100644
--- a/test/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl
+++ b/test/Rings/AbelianClosure.jl
@@ -60,18 +60,28 @@ end
   @testset "Printing" begin
     K, z = abelian_closure(QQ)
     @test sprint(show, "text/plain", K) == "Abelian closure of Q"
-    @test get_variable(K) == "ζ"
+
+    @test get_variable(K) == "z"
     s = sprint(show, "text/plain", z)
 
     a = z(1)
     sprint(show, "text/plain", a) == "1"
     a = z(4)
-    sprint(show, "text/plain", a) == "ζ(4)"
-
-    t = set_variable!(K, "z")
-    @test t == "ζ"
-    @test get_variable(K) == "z"
     sprint(show, "text/plain", a) == "z(4)"
+    Oscar.with_unicode() do
+      @test get_variable(K) == "ζ"
+      s = sprint(show, "text/plain", z)
+
+      a = z(1)
+      sprint(show, "text/plain", a) == "1"
+      a = z(4)
+      sprint(show, "text/plain", a) == "ζ(4)"
+    end
+
+    t = set_variable!(K, "zz")
+    @test t == "z"
+    @test get_variable(K) == "zz"
+    sprint(show, "text/plain", a) == "zz(4)"
 
     zz = gen(K, "ω")
     @test get_variable(K) == "ω"
@@ -81,7 +91,7 @@ end
     @test isone(a^4) && !isone(a) && !isone(a^2)
 
     # reset variable for any subsequent (doc-)tests
-    set_variable!(K, "ζ")
+    @test set_variable!(K, "z") == "ω"
   end
 
   @testset "Coercion" begin