diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index f01852462..be2b66ec2 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ const char* oiio_version(void);
 #include <wctype.h>
 #include <termios.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <langinfo.h>
 #include "notcurses/notcurses.h"
 #include "egcpool.h"
 
@@ -620,6 +621,19 @@ int ncplane_resize_internal(ncplane* n, int keepy, int keepx,
 
 int update_term_dimensions(int fd, int* rows, int* cols);
 
+// might not be particularly fast, use sparingly, ideally once
+static inline bool
+enforce_utf8(void){
+  char* enc = nl_langinfo(CODESET);
+  if(!enc){
+    return false;
+  }
+  if(strcmp(enc, "UTF-8")){
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/main.cpp b/tests/main.cpp
index ab677f39a..5d02450e9 100644
--- a/tests/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/main.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,15 @@
 
 static const char* datadir = NOTCURSES_SHARE;
 
-bool enforce_utf8(){
+char* find_data(const char* datum){
+  char* path = (char*)malloc(strlen(datadir) + 1 + strlen(datum) + 1);
+  strcpy(path, datadir);
+  strcat(path, "/");
+  strcat(path, datum);
+  return path;
+}
+
+bool enforce_utf8(void){
   char* enc = nl_langinfo(CODESET);
   if(!enc){
     return false;
@@ -24,14 +32,6 @@ bool enforce_utf8(){
   return true;
 }
 
-char* find_data(const char* datum){
-  char* path = (char*)malloc(strlen(datadir) + 1 + strlen(datum) + 1);
-  strcpy(path, datadir);
-  strcat(path, "/");
-  strcat(path, datum);
-  return path;
-}
-
 static void
 handle_opts(const char** argv){
   bool inarg = false;