diff --git a/src/core/Buffer.cc b/src/core/Buffer.cc
index 568bac9..ea67af5 100644
--- a/src/core/Buffer.cc
+++ b/src/core/Buffer.cc
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ bool Buffer::load_from_file(const char * filename)
         auto next = it;
         next++;
         bool eol = next != text_loader.end();
-        /* TODO: correctly calculate n_chars based on current file encoding. */
-        piece_table->append_initial_line_piece(it->start, it->length, it->length, eol);
+        piece_table->append_initial_line_piece(it->start, it->length, eol);
     }
 
     m_eol_at_eof = text_loader.get_eol_at_eof();
diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.cc b/src/core/PieceTable.cc
index 8466742..fd49fd3 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.cc
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.cc
@@ -11,16 +11,16 @@ PieceTable::PieceTable(const uint8_t * file_buffer, unsigned long file_buffer_si
     m_piece_index = 2u;
 }
 
-void PieceTable::append_initial_line_piece(uint8_t * start, uint32_t length, uint32_t n_chars, bool eol)
+void PieceTable::append_initial_line_piece(uint8_t * start, uint32_t length, bool eol)
 {
     Piece * piece = add_piece();
     piece->prev = end_piece->prev;
     piece->next = end_piece;
     piece->start = start;
     piece->length = length;
-    piece->n_chars = n_chars;
+    piece->flags = 0u;
     if (eol)
-        piece->n_chars |= Piece::N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG;
+        piece->flags |= Piece::EOL_FLAG;
     end_piece->prev->next = piece;
     end_piece->prev = piece;
     m_num_lines++;
diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.h b/src/core/PieceTable.h
index 74da11f..fc1e2f6 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.h
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public:
     {
         enum
         {
-            N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG = 0x80000000u,
+            EOL_FLAG = 0x80000000u,
         };
 
         /** The previous piece in the chain. */
@@ -36,19 +36,15 @@ public:
         uint32_t length;
 
         /**
-         * Number of characters in the text.
-         * Also, the highest bit is the eol flag.
+         * Flags.
          */
-        uint32_t n_chars;
-
-        /** Get the number of characters pointed to by this piece. */
-        uint32_t get_n_chars() { return n_chars & (~N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG); }
+        uint32_t flags;
 
         /** Get whether this piece is the end of a line. */
-        bool eol() { return (n_chars & N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG) != 0u; }
+        bool eol() { return (flags & EOL_FLAG) != 0u; }
 
         /** Toggle whether this piece is the end of a line. */
-        void toggle_eol() { n_chars ^= N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG; }
+        void toggle_eol() { flags ^= EOL_FLAG; }
     };
 
     struct Cursor
@@ -80,7 +76,7 @@ public:
     Piece * start_piece;
     Piece * end_piece;
 
-    void append_initial_line_piece(uint8_t * start, uint32_t length, uint32_t n_chars, bool eol);
+    void append_initial_line_piece(uint8_t * start, uint32_t length, bool eol);
 
     Piece * get_start_of_line(Piece * start) const;