diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 674a8511..35e74d09 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Version 78:
 * Fix warning in zlib
 * Header file tidying
 * Tidy up FieldsReader doc
+* Add Boost.Locale utf8 benchmark comparison
 
 HTTP:
 
diff --git a/include/beast/websocket/detail/utf8_checker.hpp b/include/beast/websocket/detail/utf8_checker.hpp
index 9feb9c66..cbd9b70c 100644
--- a/include/beast/websocket/detail/utf8_checker.hpp
+++ b/include/beast/websocket/detail/utf8_checker.hpp
@@ -274,7 +274,14 @@ write(std::uint8_t const* in, std::size_t size)
             std::size_t>(0x8080808080808080 & ~std::size_t{0});
         while(in < last)
         {
+#if 0
+            std::size_t temp;
+            std::memcpy(&temp, in, sizeof(temp));
+            if((temp & mask) != 0)
+#else
+            // Technically UB but works on all known platforms
             if((*reinterpret_cast<std::size_t const*>(in) & mask) != 0)
+#endif
             {
                 size = size - (in - in0);
                 goto slow;
diff --git a/test/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt b/test/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt
index e018b1a6..f6c0afcb 100644
--- a/test/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ add_executable (benchmarks
     buffers.cpp
     nodejs_parser.cpp
     parser.cpp
+    utf8_checker.cpp
 )
 
 target_link_libraries(benchmarks
diff --git a/test/benchmarks/Jamfile b/test/benchmarks/Jamfile
index 7070bf84..a3ff3bd6 100644
--- a/test/benchmarks/Jamfile
+++ b/test/benchmarks/Jamfile
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ unit-test benchmarks :
     buffers.cpp
     nodejs_parser.cpp
     parser.cpp
+    utf8_checker.cpp
     :
     <variant>coverage:<build>no
     <variant>ubasan:<build>no
diff --git a/test/benchmarks/utf8_checker.cpp b/test/benchmarks/utf8_checker.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bdb8c5da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/benchmarks/utf8_checker.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Vinnie Falco (vinnie dot falco at gmail dot com)
+//
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+// file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+//
+
+#include <beast/websocket/detail/utf8_checker.hpp>
+#include <beast/unit_test/suite.hpp>
+#include <boost/locale.hpp>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <random>
+
+namespace beast {
+
+class utf8_checker_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
+{
+    std::mt19937 rng_;
+
+public:
+    using size_type = std::uint64_t;
+
+    class timer
+    {
+        using clock_type =
+            std::chrono::system_clock;
+
+        clock_type::time_point when_;
+
+    public:
+        using duration =
+            clock_type::duration;
+
+        timer()
+            : when_(clock_type::now())
+        {
+        }
+
+        duration
+        elapsed() const
+        {
+            return clock_type::now() - when_;
+        }
+    };
+
+    template<class UInt = std::size_t>
+    UInt
+    rand(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        return static_cast<UInt>(
+            std::uniform_int_distribution<
+                std::size_t>{0, n-1}(rng_));
+    }
+
+    static
+    inline
+    size_type
+    throughput(std::chrono::duration<
+        double> const& elapsed, size_type items)
+    {
+        using namespace std::chrono;
+        return static_cast<size_type>(
+            1 / (elapsed/items).count());
+    }
+
+    std::string
+    corpus(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        std::string s;
+        s.reserve(n);
+        while(n--)
+            s.push_back(static_cast<char>(
+                ' ' + rand(95)));
+        return s;
+    }
+
+    void
+    checkLocale(std::string const& s)
+    {
+        using namespace boost::locale;
+        auto p = s.begin();
+        auto const e = s.end();
+        while(p != e)
+        {
+            auto cp = utf::utf_traits<char>::decode(p, e);
+            if(cp == utf::illegal)
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    void
+    checkBeast(std::string const& s)
+    {
+        beast::websocket::detail::check_utf8(
+            s.data(), s.size());
+    }
+
+    template<class F>
+    typename timer::clock_type::duration
+    test(F const& f)
+    {
+        timer t;
+        f();
+        return t.elapsed();
+    }
+
+    void
+    run() override
+    {
+        auto const s = corpus(32 * 1024 * 1024);
+        for(int i = 0; i < 5; ++ i)
+        {
+            auto const elapsed = test([&]{
+                checkBeast(s);
+                checkBeast(s);
+                checkBeast(s);
+                checkBeast(s);
+                checkBeast(s);
+            });
+            log << "beast:  " << throughput(elapsed, s.size()) << " char/s" << std::endl;
+        }
+        for(int i = 0; i < 5; ++ i)
+        {
+            auto const elapsed = test([&]{
+                checkLocale(s);
+                checkLocale(s);
+                checkLocale(s);
+                checkLocale(s);
+                checkLocale(s);
+            });
+            log << "locale: " << throughput(elapsed, s.size()) << " char/s" << std::endl;
+        }
+        pass();
+    }
+};
+
+BEAST_DEFINE_TESTSUITE(utf8_checker,benchmarks,beast);
+
+} // beast
+