diff --git a/test/unitTest/Makefile.am b/test/unitTest/Makefile.am
index 2a956563e0e244998d831dd7bb4e50f695d8c4d4..13a41022eea4a387f3b641198e28a5cb4979313f 100644
--- a/test/unitTest/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/unitTest/Makefile.am
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ ut_base64_SOURCES = base64/base64.cpp
 check_PROGRAMS += ut_smartools
 ut_smartools_SOURCES = smartools/testSmartools.cpp
 
+#
+# utf8_utils
+#
+check_PROGRAMS += ut_utf8_utils
+ut_utf8_utils_SOURCES = utf8_utils/testUtf8_utils.cpp
+
 #
 # video_input
 #
diff --git a/test/unitTest/utf8_utils/testUtf8_utils.cpp b/test/unitTest/utf8_utils/testUtf8_utils.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..baa4744989253ffdfdd401f3bb3d3293fae10a48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unitTest/utf8_utils/testUtf8_utils.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/*
+ *  Copyright (C) 2017 Savoir-Faire Linux Inc.
+ *  Author: Olivier Gregoire <olivier.gregoire@savoirfairelinux.com>
+ *
+ *  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *  the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+ *  (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *  GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ *  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#include <cppunit/TestAssert.h>
+#include <cppunit/TestFixture.h>
+#include <cppunit/extensions/HelperMacros.h>
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include "utf8_utils.h"
+#include "../../test_runner.h"
+
+
+namespace ring { namespace test {
+
+class Utf8UtilsTest : public CppUnit::TestFixture {
+public:
+    static std::string name() { return "utf8_utils"; }
+
+private:
+    void utf8_validate_test();
+    void utf8_make_valid_test();
+
+    CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE(Utf8UtilsTest);
+    CPPUNIT_TEST(utf8_validate_test);
+    CPPUNIT_TEST(utf8_make_valid_test);
+    CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_END();
+
+    const std::string VALIDE_UTF8 = "çèềé{}()/\\*";
+    const std::string INVALID_UTF8 = "\xc3\x28";
+};
+
+CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_NAMED_REGISTRATION(Utf8UtilsTest, Utf8UtilsTest::name());
+
+void
+Utf8UtilsTest::utf8_validate_test()
+{
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(!utf8_validate(INVALID_UTF8));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(utf8_validate(VALIDE_UTF8));
+}
+
+void
+Utf8UtilsTest::utf8_make_valid_test()
+{
+    // valide utf8 string in input
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(utf8_make_valid(VALIDE_UTF8).compare(VALIDE_UTF8) == 0);
+
+    // invalid utf8 string in input
+    std::string str = utf8_make_valid(INVALID_UTF8);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(utf8_validate(str));
+}
+
+}} // namespace ring::test
+
+RING_TEST_RUNNER(ring::test::Utf8UtilsTest::name());