diff --git a/openrtx/include/core/voicePromptUtils.h b/openrtx/include/core/voicePromptUtils.h
index 0f79236b..de1d76a9 100644
--- a/openrtx/include/core/voicePromptUtils.h
+++ b/openrtx/include/core/voicePromptUtils.h
@@ -206,8 +206,7 @@ void vp_announceScreen(uint8_t ui_screen);
  * This function is called from  ui_updateFSM to speak string buffers.
  */
 void vp_announceBuffer(const char* const* stringTableStringPtr, bool editMode,
-                       const char* buffer);
-
+                       bool callsign, const char* buffer);
 
 /**
  *
diff --git a/openrtx/src/core/voicePromptUtils.c b/openrtx/src/core/voicePromptUtils.c
index 35a5b583..20913ef4 100644
--- a/openrtx/src/core/voicePromptUtils.c
+++ b/openrtx/src/core/voicePromptUtils.c
@@ -750,12 +750,13 @@ void vp_announceScreen(uint8_t ui_screen)
         break;
     case SETTINGS_M17:
         vp_announceBuffer(&currentLanguage->callsign,
-                          false, state.settings.callsign);
+                          false, true, state.settings.callsign);
         break;
     }    
 }
 
-void vp_announceBuffer(const char* const* stringTableStringPtr, bool editMode,
+void vp_announceBuffer(const char* const* stringTableStringPtr, 
+                       bool editMode, bool callsign,
                        const char* buffer)
 {
     bool isPlaying=vp_isPlaying();
@@ -772,7 +773,8 @@ void vp_announceBuffer(const char* const* stringTableStringPtr, bool editMode,
     
     vpFlags_t flags= vpAnnounceCommonSymbols;
     // add edit mode flags to adjust what is spoken.
-    if (editMode)
+    // extra symbols not relevant when entering callsign.
+    if (editMode && !callsign)
         flags |= vpAnnounceLessCommonSymbols | vpAnnounceSpace | vpAnnounceASCIIValueForUnknownChars;
     
     vp_queueString(buffer, flags);
diff --git a/openrtx/src/ui/ui.c b/openrtx/src/ui/ui.c
index 2b5544da..38aea61e 100644
--- a/openrtx/src/ui/ui.c
+++ b/openrtx/src/ui/ui.c
@@ -1054,7 +1054,12 @@ static void _ui_textInputConfirm(char *buf)
 static void _ui_textInputDel(char *buf)
 {
     // announce the char about to be backspaced.
-    if(buf[ui_state.input_position])
+    // Note this assumes editing callsign.
+    // If we edit a different buffer which allows the underline char, we may 
+    // not want to exclude it, but when editing callsign, we do not want to say 
+    // underline since it means the field is empty.
+    if(buf[ui_state.input_position]
+    && buf[ui_state.input_position]!='_')
         vp_announceInputChar(buf[ui_state.input_position]);
 
     buf[ui_state.input_position] = '\0';
@@ -1844,14 +1849,14 @@ void ui_updateFSM(bool *sync_rtx)
                         ui_state.edit_mode = false;
                         *sync_rtx = true;
                         vp_announceBuffer(&currentLanguage->callsign, 
-                                          false, state.settings.callsign);
+                                          false, true, state.settings.callsign);
                     }
                     else if(msg.keys & KEY_ESC)
                     {
                         // Discard selected callsign and disable input mode
                         ui_state.edit_mode = false;
                         vp_announceBuffer(&currentLanguage->callsign, 
-                                          false, state.settings.callsign);
+                                          false, true, state.settings.callsign);
                     }
                     else if(msg.keys & KEY_UP || msg.keys & KEY_DOWN ||
                             msg.keys & KEY_LEFT || msg.keys & KEY_RIGHT)
@@ -1861,7 +1866,7 @@ void ui_updateFSM(bool *sync_rtx)
                     else if (msg.long_press && (msg.keys & KEY_F1) && (state.settings.vpLevel > vpBeep))
                     {
                         vp_announceBuffer(&currentLanguage->callsign, 
-                                          true, ui_state.new_callsign);
+                                          true, true, ui_state.new_callsign);
                         f1Handled=true;
                     }
                 }
@@ -1874,7 +1879,7 @@ void ui_updateFSM(bool *sync_rtx)
                         // Reset text input variables
                         _ui_textInputReset(ui_state.new_callsign);
                         vp_announceBuffer(&currentLanguage->callsign, 
-                                          true, ui_state.new_callsign);
+                                          true, true, ui_state.new_callsign);
                     }
                     else if(msg.keys & KEY_ESC)
                         _ui_menuBack(MENU_SETTINGS);