diff --git a/src/de/decoder.rs b/src/de/decoder.rs
index 4991963..cff80d1 100644
--- a/src/de/decoder.rs
+++ b/src/de/decoder.rs
@@ -231,4 +231,51 @@ impl<'a, 'de, R: Reader<'de>, C: Config> Decode for &'a mut Decoder<R, C> {
         self.reader.read(&mut array)?;
         Ok(array)
     }
+
+    fn decode_char(&mut self) -> Result<char, DecodeError> {
+        let mut array = [0u8; 4];
+
+        // Look at the first byte to see how many bytes must be read
+        self.reader.read(&mut array[..1])?;
+
+        let width = utf8_char_width(array[0]);
+        if width == 0 {
+            return Err(DecodeError::InvalidCharEncoding(array));
+        }
+        if width == 1 {
+            return Ok(array[0] as char);
+        }
+
+        // read the remaining pain
+        self.reader.read(&mut array[1..width])?;
+        let res = core::str::from_utf8(&array[..width])
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|s| s.chars().next())
+            .ok_or(DecodeError::InvalidCharEncoding(array))?;
+        Ok(res)
+    }
+}
+
+const UTF8_CHAR_WIDTH: [u8; 256] = [
+    1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
+    1, // 0x1F
+    1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
+    1, // 0x3F
+    1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
+    1, // 0x5F
+    1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
+    1, // 0x7F
+    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+    0, // 0x9F
+    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+    0, // 0xBF
+    0, 0, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2,
+    2, // 0xDF
+    3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, // 0xEF
+    4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, // 0xFF
+];
+
+// This function is a copy of core::str::utf8_char_width
+const fn utf8_char_width(b: u8) -> usize {
+    UTF8_CHAR_WIDTH[b as usize] as usize
 }
diff --git a/src/de/impls.rs b/src/de/impls.rs
index 21164be..3fee1ac 100644
--- a/src/de/impls.rs
+++ b/src/de/impls.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ impl<'de> Decodable for f64 {
     }
 }
 
+impl<'de> Decodable for char {
+    fn decode<D: Decode>(mut decoder: D) -> Result<Self, DecodeError> {
+        decoder.decode_char()
+    }
+}
+
 impl<'a, 'de: 'a> BorrowDecodable<'de> for &'a [u8] {
     fn borrow_decode<D: BorrowDecode<'de>>(mut decoder: D) -> Result<Self, DecodeError> {
         let len = usize::decode(&mut decoder)?;
@@ -174,6 +180,10 @@ where
     fn decode_array<const N: usize>(&mut self) -> Result<[u8; N], DecodeError> {
         T::decode_array::<N>(self)
     }
+
+    fn decode_char(&mut self) -> Result<char, DecodeError> {
+        T::decode_char(self)
+    }
 }
 
 impl<'a, 'de, T> BorrowDecode<'de> for &'a mut T
diff --git a/src/de/mod.rs b/src/de/mod.rs
index b6ea6e5..49407e4 100644
--- a/src/de/mod.rs
+++ b/src/de/mod.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ pub trait Decode {
     fn decode_f64(&mut self) -> Result<f64, DecodeError>;
     /// Attempt to decode an array of `N` entries.
     fn decode_array<const N: usize>(&mut self) -> Result<[u8; N], DecodeError>;
+
+    /// Attempt to decode a `char`
+    fn decode_char(&mut self) -> Result<char, DecodeError>;
 }
 
 /// Any source that can decode basic types. This type is most notably implemented for [Decoder].
diff --git a/src/enc/encoder.rs b/src/enc/encoder.rs
index a308d2d..09ac901 100644
--- a/src/enc/encoder.rs
+++ b/src/enc/encoder.rs
@@ -197,4 +197,42 @@ impl<'a, W: Writer, C: Config> Encode for &'a mut Encoder<W, C> {
     fn encode_array<const N: usize>(&mut self, val: [u8; N]) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
         self.writer.write(&val)
     }
+
+    fn encode_char(&mut self, val: char) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
+        encode_utf8(&mut self.writer, val)
+    }
+}
+
+const TAG_CONT: u8 = 0b1000_0000;
+const TAG_TWO_B: u8 = 0b1100_0000;
+const TAG_THREE_B: u8 = 0b1110_0000;
+const TAG_FOUR_B: u8 = 0b1111_0000;
+const MAX_ONE_B: u32 = 0x80;
+const MAX_TWO_B: u32 = 0x800;
+const MAX_THREE_B: u32 = 0x10000;
+
+fn encode_utf8(writer: &mut impl Writer, c: char) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
+    let code = c as u32;
+
+    if code < MAX_ONE_B {
+        writer.write(&[c as u8])
+    } else if code < MAX_TWO_B {
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 2];
+        buf[0] = (code >> 6 & 0x1F) as u8 | TAG_TWO_B;
+        buf[1] = (code & 0x3F) as u8 | TAG_CONT;
+        writer.write(&buf)
+    } else if code < MAX_THREE_B {
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 3];
+        buf[0] = (code >> 12 & 0x0F) as u8 | TAG_THREE_B;
+        buf[1] = (code >> 6 & 0x3F) as u8 | TAG_CONT;
+        buf[2] = (code & 0x3F) as u8 | TAG_CONT;
+        writer.write(&buf)
+    } else {
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 4];
+        buf[0] = (code >> 18 & 0x07) as u8 | TAG_FOUR_B;
+        buf[1] = (code >> 12 & 0x3F) as u8 | TAG_CONT;
+        buf[2] = (code >> 6 & 0x3F) as u8 | TAG_CONT;
+        buf[3] = (code & 0x3F) as u8 | TAG_CONT;
+        writer.write(&buf)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/enc/impls.rs b/src/enc/impls.rs
index 5d199e0..eed2f03 100644
--- a/src/enc/impls.rs
+++ b/src/enc/impls.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ impl Encodeable for f64 {
     }
 }
 
+impl Encodeable for char {
+    fn encode<E: Encode>(&self, mut encoder: E) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
+        encoder.encode_char(*self)
+    }
+}
+
 impl Encodeable for &'_ [u8] {
     fn encode<E: Encode>(&self, mut encoder: E) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
         encoder.encode_slice(*self)
@@ -157,4 +163,8 @@ where
     fn encode_array<const N: usize>(&mut self, val: [u8; N]) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
         T::encode_array(self, val)
     }
+
+    fn encode_char(&mut self, val: char) -> Result<(), EncodeError> {
+        T::encode_char(self, val)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/enc/mod.rs b/src/enc/mod.rs
index d5e9db9..f4d76a8 100644
--- a/src/enc/mod.rs
+++ b/src/enc/mod.rs
@@ -53,4 +53,7 @@ pub trait Encode {
     fn encode_slice(&mut self, val: &[u8]) -> Result<(), EncodeError>;
     /// Encode an array. Exactly `N` bytes must be encoded, else an error should be thrown.
     fn encode_array<const N: usize>(&mut self, val: [u8; N]) -> Result<(), EncodeError>;
+
+    /// Encode a single utf8 char
+    fn encode_char(&mut self, val: char) -> Result<(), EncodeError>;
 }
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 4a7a6f2..e5279db 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ pub enum DecodeError {
 
     /// The decoder tried to decode a `str`, but an utf8 error was encountered.
     Utf8(core::str::Utf8Error),
+
+    /// The decoder tried to decode a `char` and failed. The given buffer contains the bytes that are read at the moment of failure.
+    InvalidCharEncoding([u8; 4]),
 }
 
 /// Integer types. Used by [DecodeError]. These types have no purpose other than being shown in errors.
diff --git a/tests/test.rs b/tests/basic_types.rs
similarity index 86%
rename from tests/test.rs
rename to tests/basic_types.rs
index b0ca166..b8c5132 100644
--- a/tests/test.rs
+++ b/tests/basic_types.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ where
     C: Config,
 {
     let mut buffer = [0u8; 32];
-    bincode::encode_into_slice_with_config(element.clone(), &mut buffer, config).unwrap();
+    let len = bincode::encode_into_slice_with_config(element.clone(), &mut buffer, config).unwrap();
+    println!(
+        "{:?}: {:?} ({:?})",
+        element,
+        &buffer[..len],
+        core::any::type_name::<C>()
+    );
     let decoded: V = bincode::decode_with_config(&mut buffer, config).unwrap();
 
     assert_eq!(element, decoded);
@@ -68,6 +74,11 @@ fn test_numbers() {
 
     the_same(5.0f32);
     the_same(5.0f64);
+
+    for char in "aÀÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏÐÑÒÓÔÕÖ×ØÙÚÛÜÝÞßàáâãäåæçèéêëìíîïðñòóôõö文".chars()
+    {
+        the_same(char);
+    }
 }
 
 #[test]