diff --git a/gtk.c b/gtk.c
index 26b3ce0..27eb5da 100644
--- a/gtk.c
+++ b/gtk.c
@@ -2562,7 +2562,7 @@ static frontend *new_window(char *arg, int argtype, char **error)
 	fe->statusctx = gtk_statusbar_get_context_id
 	    (GTK_STATUSBAR(fe->statusbar), "game");
 	gtk_statusbar_push(GTK_STATUSBAR(fe->statusbar), fe->statusctx,
-			   "test");
+			   DEFAULT_STATUSBAR_TEXT);
 #if GTK_CHECK_VERSION(3,0,0)
 	gtk_widget_get_preferred_size(fe->statusbar, &req, NULL);
 #else
diff --git a/osx.m b/osx.m
index 7a8bdeb..4740124 100644
--- a/osx.m
+++ b/osx.m
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ struct frontend {
 	[status setBezeled:YES];
 	[status setBezelStyle:NSTextFieldSquareBezel];
 	[status setDrawsBackground:YES];
-	[[status cell] setTitle:@""];
+	[[status cell] setTitle:@DEFAULT_STATUSBAR_TEXT];
 	[status sizeToFit];
 	rect2 = [status frame];
 	rect.size.height += rect2.size.height;
diff --git a/puzzles.h b/puzzles.h
index a402016..0d5aeee 100644
--- a/puzzles.h
+++ b/puzzles.h
@@ -587,4 +587,7 @@ extern const int gamecount;
 extern const game thegame;
 #endif
 
+/* A little bit of help to lazy developers */
+#define DEFAULT_STATUSBAR_TEXT "Use status_bar() to fill this in."
+
 #endif /* PUZZLES_PUZZLES_H */
diff --git a/windows.c b/windows.c
index ba657c0..9cc66e2 100644
--- a/windows.c
+++ b/windows.c
@@ -1702,7 +1702,8 @@ static int fe_set_midend(frontend *fe, midend *me)
     if (fe->statusbar)
         DestroyWindow(fe->statusbar);
     if (midend_wants_statusbar(fe->me)) {
-	fe->statusbar = CreateWindowEx(0, STATUSCLASSNAME, TEXT("ooh"),
+	fe->statusbar = CreateWindowEx(0, STATUSCLASSNAME,
+				       TEXT(DEFAULT_STATUSBAR_TEXT),
 				       WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE,
 				       0, 0, 0, 0, /* status bar does these */
 				       NULL, NULL, fe->inst, NULL);