diff --git a/src/lua.rs b/src/lua.rs
index 85ad7bfe..7b34f98b 100644
--- a/src/lua.rs
+++ b/src/lua.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use gc_arena::{metrics::Metrics, Arena, Collect, CollectionPhase, Mutation, Root
 use crate::{
     finalizers::Finalizers,
     registry::{Fetchable, Stashable},
-    stdlib::{load_base, load_coroutine, load_io, load_math, load_string, load_table},
+    stdlib::{load_base, load_coroutine, load_io, load_math, load_string, load_table, load_utf8},
     string::InternedStringSet,
     Error, FromMultiValue, Fuel, IntoValue, InvalidTableKey, Registry, Singleton, StashedExecutor,
     StaticError, String, Table, Value,
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ impl Lua {
             load_coroutine(ctx);
             load_math(ctx);
             load_string(ctx);
+            load_utf8(ctx);
             load_table(ctx);
         })
     }
diff --git a/src/stdlib/mod.rs b/src/stdlib/mod.rs
index aa766153..d7695ee4 100644
--- a/src/stdlib/mod.rs
+++ b/src/stdlib/mod.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ mod io;
 mod math;
 mod string;
 mod table;
+mod utf8;
 
 pub use self::{
     base::load_base, coroutine::load_coroutine, io::load_io, math::load_math, string::load_string,
-    table::load_table,
+    table::load_table, utf8::load_utf8,
 };
diff --git a/src/stdlib/utf8.rs b/src/stdlib/utf8.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..841baa76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stdlib/utf8.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+use crate::{Callback, CallbackReturn, Context, IntoValue, Table, TypeError, Value};
+
+pub fn load_utf8<'gc>(ctx: Context<'gc>) {
+    let utf8 = Table::new(&ctx);
+
+    utf8.set(
+        ctx,
+        "char",
+        Callback::from_fn(&ctx, |ctx, mut exec, mut stack| {
+            let mut string = String::new();
+            for argn in 0..stack.len() {
+                exec.fuel().consume(1);
+                let codepoint = match stack.pop_front() {
+                    Value::Integer(i) if i >= 0 && i <= char::MAX as i64 => Ok(i as u32),
+                    Value::Number(n)
+                        if n >= 0.0 && n.fract() == 0.0 && n <= char::MAX as u32 as f64 =>
+                    {
+                        Ok(n as u32)
+                    }
+                    Value::String(s) => String::from_utf8(s.to_vec())
+                        .map_err(|_| format!("failed to decode argument #{argn} as UTF-8"))
+                        .and_then(|s| {
+                            s.parse::<f64>()
+                                .map_err(|_| {
+                                    format!("failed to parse argument #{argn} as a number")
+                                })
+                                .and_then(|f| {
+                                    (f >= 0.0 && f.fract() == 0.0 && f <= char::MAX as u32 as f64)
+                                        .then_some(f as u32)
+                                        .ok_or(format!(
+                                            "argument #{argn} has no integer representation"
+                                        ))
+                                })
+                        }),
+                    v => Err(TypeError {
+                        expected: "valid UTF-8 codepoint (string, number, or integer)",
+                        found: v.type_name(),
+                    }
+                    .to_string()),
+                }
+                .map_err(|s| s.into_value(ctx))?;
+
+                if let Some(c) = char::from_u32(codepoint) {
+                    string.push(c);
+                } else {
+                    return Err(format!(
+                        "argument #{argn}: {codepoint:x} is not a valid codepoint"
+                    )
+                    .into_value(ctx)
+                    .into());
+                }
+            }
+            stack.replace(ctx, string);
+            Ok(CallbackReturn::Return)
+        }),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    ctx.set_global("utf8", utf8).unwrap();
+}
diff --git a/tests/scripts/utf8.lua b/tests/scripts/utf8.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5a8532b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/scripts/utf8.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+function is_err(f)
+    return pcall(f) == false
+end
+
+do
+    assert(is_err(function() return utf8.char(0x110000) end) and
+        is_err(function() return utf8.char(0.1) end) and
+        utf8.char(72, 69, 76.0, "76", 79) == "HELLO")
+end