diff --git a/tests/visual.cpp b/tests/visual.cpp
index 50700003c..d235f8162 100644
--- a/tests/visual.cpp
+++ b/tests/visual.cpp
@@ -247,74 +247,76 @@ TEST_CASE("Visual") {
 
   // close-in verification of each quadblitter output EGC 
   SUBCASE("QuadblitterEGCs") {
-    // there are 16 configurations, each mapping four (2x2) pixels
-    int DIMX = 32;
-    int DIMY = 2;
-    auto rgba = new uint32_t[DIMY * DIMX];
-    memset(rgba, 0, sizeof(*rgba) * DIMY * DIMX);
-    // the top has 4 configurations of 4 each, each being 2 columns
-    for(int top = 0 ; top < 4 ; ++top){
-      for(int idx = 0 ; idx < 4 ; ++idx){
-        const int itop = (top * 4 + idx) * 2; // index of first column
-        CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[itop], 0xff));
-        CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[itop + 1], 0xff));
-        if(top == 1 || top == 3){
-          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[itop], 0xff));
-        }
-        if(top == 2 || top == 3){
-          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[itop + 1], 0xff));
+    if(enforce_utf8()){
+      // there are 16 configurations, each mapping four (2x2) pixels
+      int DIMX = 32;
+      int DIMY = 2;
+      auto rgba = new uint32_t[DIMY * DIMX];
+      memset(rgba, 0, sizeof(*rgba) * DIMY * DIMX);
+      // the top has 4 configurations of 4 each, each being 2 columns
+      for(int top = 0 ; top < 4 ; ++top){
+        for(int idx = 0 ; idx < 4 ; ++idx){
+          const int itop = (top * 4 + idx) * 2; // index of first column
+          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[itop], 0xff));
+          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[itop + 1], 0xff));
+          if(top == 1 || top == 3){
+            CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[itop], 0xff));
+          }
+          if(top == 2 || top == 3){
+            CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[itop + 1], 0xff));
+          }
         }
       }
-    }
-    for(int bot = 0 ; bot < 4 ; ++bot){
-      for(int idx = 0 ; idx < 4 ; ++idx){
-        const int ibot = (bot * 4 + idx) * 2 + DIMX;
-        CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[ibot], 0xff));
-        CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[ibot + 1], 0xff));
-        if(idx == 1 || idx == 3){
-          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[ibot], 0xff));
-        }
-        if(idx == 2 || idx == 3){
-          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[ibot + 1], 0xff));
+      for(int bot = 0 ; bot < 4 ; ++bot){
+        for(int idx = 0 ; idx < 4 ; ++idx){
+          const int ibot = (bot * 4 + idx) * 2 + DIMX;
+          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[ibot], 0xff));
+          CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_a(&rgba[ibot + 1], 0xff));
+          if(idx == 1 || idx == 3){
+            CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[ibot], 0xff));
+          }
+          if(idx == 2 || idx == 3){
+            CHECK(0 == ncpixel_set_r(&rgba[ibot + 1], 0xff));
+          }
         }
       }
-    }
-    auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(rgba, DIMY, DIMX * sizeof(uint32_t), DIMX);
-    REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
-    struct ncvisual_options vopts{};
-    vopts.n = n_;
-    vopts.blitter = NCBLIT_2x2;
-    vopts.flags = NCVISUAL_OPTION_NODEGRADE;
-    CHECK(n_ == ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &vopts));
-    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
-    for(int y = 0 ; y < DIMY / 2 ; ++y){
-      for(int x = 0 ; x < DIMX / 2 ; ++x){
-        uint32_t attrword;
-        uint64_t channels;
-        char* egc = notcurses_at_yx(nc_, y, x, &attrword, &channels);
-        REQUIRE(nullptr != egc);
-/* FIXME need to match
- [▀] 00000000 00000000
- [▜] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▛] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▀] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▟] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▋] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▚] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▙] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▙] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▚] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▋] 00000000 00ff0000
- [▟] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▀] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▛] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▜] 00ff0000 00000000
- [▀] 00ff0000 00ff0000
- */
-        free(egc);
+      auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(rgba, DIMY, DIMX * sizeof(uint32_t), DIMX);
+      REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
+      struct ncvisual_options vopts{};
+      vopts.n = n_;
+      vopts.blitter = NCBLIT_2x2;
+      vopts.flags = NCVISUAL_OPTION_NODEGRADE;
+      CHECK(n_ == ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &vopts));
+      CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+      for(int y = 0 ; y < DIMY / 2 ; ++y){
+        for(int x = 0 ; x < DIMX / 2 ; ++x){
+          uint32_t attrword;
+          uint64_t channels;
+          char* egc = notcurses_at_yx(nc_, y, x, &attrword, &channels);
+          REQUIRE(nullptr != egc);
+  /* FIXME need to match
+  [▀] 00000000 00000000
+  [▜] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▛] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▀] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▟] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▋] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▚] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▙] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▙] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▚] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▋] 00000000 00ff0000
+  [▟] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▀] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▛] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▜] 00ff0000 00000000
+  [▀] 00ff0000 00ff0000
+  */
+          free(egc);
+        }
       }
+      delete[] rgba;
     }
-    delete[] rgba;
   }
 
   CHECK(!notcurses_stop(nc_));