diff --git a/include/fmt/core.h b/include/fmt/core.h
index 2e9e8451..9985c036 100644
--- a/include/fmt/core.h
+++ b/include/fmt/core.h
@@ -1762,11 +1762,13 @@ make_args_checked(const S& format_str,
   return {args...};
 }
 
-template <typename Char>
+template <typename Char, FMT_ENABLE_IF(!std::is_same<Char, char>::value)>
 std::basic_string<Char> vformat(
     basic_string_view<Char> format_str,
     basic_format_args<buffer_context<type_identity_t<Char>>> args);
 
+std::string vformat(string_view format_str, format_args args);
+
 template <typename Char>
 typename buffer_context<Char>::iterator vformat_to(
     buffer<Char>& buf, basic_string_view<Char> format_str,
diff --git a/include/fmt/format-inl.h b/include/fmt/format-inl.h
index 3bddb8eb..d0080907 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format-inl.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format-inl.h
@@ -1365,6 +1365,12 @@ FMT_FUNC void report_system_error(int error_code,
   report_error(format_system_error, error_code, message);
 }
 
+FMT_FUNC std::string detail::vformat(string_view format_str, format_args args) {
+  memory_buffer buffer;
+  detail::vformat_to(buffer, format_str, args);
+  return to_string(buffer);
+}
+
 FMT_FUNC void vprint(std::FILE* f, string_view format_str, format_args args) {
   memory_buffer buffer;
   detail::vformat_to(buffer, format_str,
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index 65818ab3..ff4eaa46 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -3440,7 +3440,7 @@ inline format_to_n_result<OutputIt> format_to_n(OutputIt out, size_t n,
                       make_format_args<context>(args...));
 }
 
-template <typename Char>
+template <typename Char, enable_if_t<(!std::is_same<Char, char>::value), int>>
 std::basic_string<Char> detail::vformat(
     basic_string_view<Char> format_str,
     basic_format_args<buffer_context<type_identity_t<Char>>> args) {
diff --git a/src/format.cc b/src/format.cc
index fd1e1c15..bc06c089 100644
--- a/src/format.cc
+++ b/src/format.cc
@@ -44,9 +44,6 @@ template FMT_API char detail::decimal_point_impl(locale_ref);
 
 template FMT_API void detail::buffer<char>::append(const char*, const char*);
 
-template FMT_API std::string detail::vformat<char>(
-    string_view, basic_format_args<format_context>);
-
 template FMT_API format_context::iterator detail::vformat_to(
     detail::buffer<char>&, string_view, basic_format_args<format_context>);