diff --git a/source/lib/utf8.cpp b/source/lib/utf8.cpp
index 5d6002e917..784424bb44 100644
--- a/source/lib/utf8.cpp
+++ b/source/lib/utf8.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2025 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2026 Wildfire Games.
  *
  * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
  * a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ private:
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-std::string utf8_from_wstring(const std::wstring& src, Status* err)
+std::string utf8_from_wstring(const std::wstring_view src, Status* err)
 {
 	if(err)
 		*err = INFO::OK;
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ std::string utf8_from_wstring(const std::wstring& src, Status* err)
 }
 
 
-std::wstring wstring_from_utf8(const std::string& src, Status* err)
+std::wstring wstring_from_utf8(const std::string_view src, Status* err)
 {
 	if(err)
 		*err = INFO::OK;
diff --git a/source/lib/utf8.h b/source/lib/utf8.h
index a2903d592e..7745d82a56 100644
--- a/source/lib/utf8.h
+++ b/source/lib/utf8.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2025 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2026 Wildfire Games.
  *
  * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
  * a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "lib/status.h"
 
 #include <string>
+#include <string_view>
 
 // note: error codes are returned via optional output parameter.
 namespace ERR
@@ -46,11 +47,11 @@ namespace ERR
  * otherwise, the function raises a warning dialog for every
  * error/warning.
  **/
-std::wstring wstring_from_utf8(const std::string& s, Status* err = 0);
+std::wstring wstring_from_utf8(const std::string_view s, Status* err = 0);
 
 /**
  * opposite of wstring_from_utf8
  **/
-std::string utf8_from_wstring(const std::wstring& s, Status* err = 0);
+std::string utf8_from_wstring(const std::wstring_view s, Status* err = 0);
 
 #endif	// #ifndef INCLUDED_UTF8