diff --git a/include/vsg/io/convert_utf.h b/include/vsg/io/convert_utf.h
index 5a58a9f2c6..53ff429340 100644
--- a/include/vsg/io/convert_utf.h
+++ b/include/vsg/io/convert_utf.h
@@ -27,6 +27,37 @@ namespace vsg
 
     inline void convert_utf(const std::string& src, std::string& dst) { dst = src; }
     inline void convert_utf(const std::wstring& src, std::wstring& dst) { dst = src; }
+
+    #if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+    inline void convert_utf(const std::u8string& src, std::u8string& dst) { dst = src; }
+    inline void convert_utf(const std::wstring& src, std::u8string& dst) { std::string temp_dst; convert_utf(src, temp_dst); dst.assign(temp_dst.begin(), temp_dst.end()); }
+    inline void convert_utf(const std::u8string& src, std::wstring& dst) { std::string temp_src(src.begin(), src.end()); convert_utf(temp_src, dst); }
+
+    inline void convert_utf(const char8_t c, std::u8string& dst)
+    {
+        dst.clear();
+        dst.push_back(c);
+    }
+    inline void convert_utf(const char8_t c, std::string& dst)
+    {
+        dst.clear();
+        dst.push_back(c);
+    }
+    inline void convert_utf(const char8_t c, std::wstring& dst)
+    {
+        dst.clear();
+        dst.push_back(static_cast<wchar_t>(c));
+    }
+
+    template<typename T>
+    T convert_utf(const std::u8string& src)
+    {
+        T dst;
+        convert_utf(src, dst);
+        return dst;
+    }
+    #endif
+
     inline void convert_utf(const char c, std::string& dst)
     {
         dst.clear();
diff --git a/src/vsg/CMakeLists.txt b/src/vsg/CMakeLists.txt
index 753b6156a7..8b515214bb 100644
--- a/src/vsg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/vsg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -411,7 +411,24 @@ ASSIGN_SOURCE_GROUPS("Header Files" "${VSG_SOURCE_DIR}/include/vsg" ${HEADERS})
 set_property(TARGET vsg PROPERTY VERSION ${VSG_VERSION_MAJOR}.${VSG_VERSION_MINOR}.${VSG_VERSION_PATCH})
 set_property(TARGET vsg PROPERTY SOVERSION ${VSG_SOVERSION})
 set_property(TARGET vsg PROPERTY POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
-target_compile_features(vsg PUBLIC cxx_std_17)
+
+# set up the C++ Standard used
+if (NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
+    # no CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD explicitly defined so default to 17
+    target_compile_features(vsg PUBLIC cxx_std_17)
+elseif (${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} EQUAL 17)
+    target_compile_features(vsg PUBLIC cxx_std_17)
+elseif (${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} EQUAL 20)
+    target_compile_features(vsg PUBLIC cxx_std_20) # CMake minimum version 3.12
+elseif (${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} EQUAL 23)
+    target_compile_features(vsg PUBLIC cxx_std_23) # CMake minimum version 3.20
+elseif (${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} EQUAL 26)
+    target_compile_features(vsg PUBLIC cxx_std_26) # CMake minimum version 3.30
+else()
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Invalid CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD value of " ${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} ", supported values are 17, 20 or 23.")
+endif()
+
+
 if(WIN32)
     set_property(TARGET vsg PROPERTY RUNTIME_OUTPUT_NAME vsg-${VSG_SOVERSION})
 endif()