diff --git a/common/CMakeLists.txt b/common/CMakeLists.txt
index a714ecb2780..d5baf2a9151 100644
--- a/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -402,7 +402,6 @@ set( COMMON_SRCS
     title_block.cpp
     trace_helpers.cpp
     undo_redo_container.cpp
-    utf8.cpp
     validators.cpp
     wildcards_and_files_ext.cpp
     drawing_sheet/ds_painter.cpp
diff --git a/common/gbr_metadata.cpp b/common/gbr_metadata.cpp
index 132d5aaaac7..275fa80c2f3 100644
--- a/common/gbr_metadata.cpp
+++ b/common/gbr_metadata.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 #include <wx/datetime.h>
 
 #include <gbr_metadata.h>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 
 wxString GbrMakeCreationDateAttributeString( GBR_NC_STRING_FORMAT aFormat )
diff --git a/common/swig/kicad.i b/common/swig/kicad.i
index 6deddd0280b..a0882395adc 100644
--- a/common/swig/kicad.i
+++ b/common/swig/kicad.i
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ typedef long time_t;
 %rename(utf8_to_wxstring) operator wxString () const;
 %rename(utf8_to_string) operator const std::string& () const;
 
-#include <utf8.h>
-%include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
+%include <core\utf8.h>
 
 
 %extend UTF8
diff --git a/cvpcb/cvpcb_association.h b/cvpcb/cvpcb_association.h
index c47f6cdb54e..25462a9b00c 100644
--- a/cvpcb/cvpcb_association.h
+++ b/cvpcb/cvpcb_association.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #define CVPCB_ASSOCIATION_H
 
 #include <lib_id.h>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 /**
  * A class to define a footprint association to be made in cvpcb.
diff --git a/include/font/stroke_font.h b/include/font/stroke_font.h
index 7e2202656f8..170b1f18eba 100644
--- a/include/font/stroke_font.h
+++ b/include/font/stroke_font.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #include <map>
 #include <deque>
 #include <algorithm>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 #include <math/box2.h>
 #include <font/font.h>
 
diff --git a/include/lib_id.h b/include/lib_id.h
index 76e6d263d6a..46f500f314c 100644
--- a/include/lib_id.h
+++ b/include/lib_id.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #define _LIB_ID_H_
 
 #include <richio.h>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 /**
  * A logical library item identifier and consists of various portions much like a URI.
diff --git a/include/markup_parser.h b/include/markup_parser.h
index 0007eede01e..300269aac84 100644
--- a/include/markup_parser.h
+++ b/include/markup_parser.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #include <pegtl/contrib/parse_tree.hpp>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 
 namespace MARKUP
diff --git a/include/richio.h b/include/richio.h
index be6a97f953f..49738b6361c 100644
--- a/include/richio.h
+++ b/include/richio.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 
 #include <vector>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 // I really did not want to be dependent on wxWidgets in richio
 // but the errorText needs to be wide char so wxString rules.
diff --git a/include/string_utf8_map.h b/include/string_utf8_map.h
index 64d3f53860f..8aa31cc134f 100644
--- a/include/string_utf8_map.h
+++ b/include/string_utf8_map.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <map>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/libs/core/CMakeLists.txt b/libs/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 4522cc64752..6c351a31439 100644
--- a/libs/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libs/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ add_library( core STATIC
     base64.cpp
     observable.cpp
     profile.cpp
+    utf8.cpp
     thread_pool.cpp
     version_compare.cpp
     wx_stl_compat.cpp
diff --git a/include/utf8.h b/libs/core/include/core/utf8.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/utf8.h
rename to libs/core/include/core/utf8.h
diff --git a/common/utf8.cpp b/libs/core/utf8.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from common/utf8.cpp
rename to libs/core/utf8.cpp
index 144530afe8f..c20ee2c9d1b 100644
--- a/common/utf8.cpp
+++ b/libs/core/utf8.cpp
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@
  * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA
  */
 
-#include <utf8.h>
-#include <ki_exception.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 #include <wx/strconv.h>
 #include <wx/buffer.h>
 #include <vector>
diff --git a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
index f66c9248776..d3428d55228 100644
--- a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@ set( SWIG_FLAGS
     -I${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripting
     -I${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/pcbnew/python/scripting
     -I${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/common/swig
+    -I${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/core/include
     -I${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/kimath/include
     -I${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
     )
diff --git a/qa/tests/common/test_utf8.cpp b/qa/tests/common/test_utf8.cpp
index 5f36caa4052..afed6fd8f9b 100644
--- a/qa/tests/common/test_utf8.cpp
+++ b/qa/tests/common/test_utf8.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <qa_utils/wx_utils/unit_test_utils.h>
 
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
diff --git a/tools/utf8_tests.cpp b/tools/utf8_tests.cpp
index be493c48ca3..221367a253b 100644
--- a/tools/utf8_tests.cpp
+++ b/tools/utf8_tests.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 
 #include <string>
-#include <utf8.h>
+#include <core\utf8.h>
 #include <wx/string.h>