diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index 4909753..ed2d13b 100644
--- a/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ add_subdirectory(boost_container)
 add_subdirectory(boost_multiprecision)
 add_subdirectory(parse_file)
 add_subdirectory(reflect)
+add_subdirectory(u8string)
 add_subdirectory(unicode)
diff --git a/examples/u8string/.gitignore b/examples/u8string/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5df90cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/u8string/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+u8string
diff --git a/examples/u8string/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/u8string/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c550092
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/u8string/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+add_executable(u8string u8string.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(u8string PRIVATE toml11::toml11)
+target_compile_features(u8string PRIVATE cxx_std_20)
+set_target_properties(u8string PROPERTIES
+    RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
diff --git a/examples/u8string/spec_example.toml b/examples/u8string/spec_example.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fe43f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/u8string/spec_example.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# This is a TOML document
+
+title = "TOML Example"
+
+[owner]
+name = "Tom Preston-Werner"
+dob = 1979-05-27T07:32:00-08:00
+
+[database]
+enabled = true
+ports = [ 8000, 8001, 8002 ]
+data = [ ["delta", "phi"], [3.14] ]
+temp_targets = { cpu = 79.5, case = 72.0 }
+
+[servers]
+
+[servers.alpha]
+ip = "10.0.0.1"
+role = "frontend"
+
+[servers.beta]
+ip = "10.0.0.2"
+role = "backend"
diff --git a/examples/u8string/u8string.cpp b/examples/u8string/u8string.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6388a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/u8string/u8string.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+#include <toml.hpp>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <map>
+
+#include <cassert>
+
+struct u8config
+{
+    using comment_type  = toml::preserve_comments;
+
+    using boolean_type  = bool;
+    using integer_type  = std::int64_t;
+    using floating_type = double;
+    using string_type   = std::u8string; // XXX
+
+    template<typename T>
+    using array_type = std::vector<T>;
+    template<typename K, typename T>
+    using table_type = std::unordered_map<K, T>;
+
+    static toml::result<integer_type, toml::error_info>
+    parse_int(const std::string& str, const toml::source_location src, const std::uint8_t base)
+    {
+        return toml::read_int<integer_type>(str, src, base);
+    }
+    static toml::result<floating_type, toml::error_info>
+    parse_float(const std::string& str, const toml::source_location src, const bool is_hex)
+    {
+        return toml::read_float<floating_type>(str, src, is_hex);
+    }
+};
+
+int main()
+{
+    const auto root = toml::parse<u8config>("spec_example.toml");
+
+    // using member functions
+    {
+        assert(root.at(u8"title").as_string() == u8"TOML Example");
+
+        assert(root.at(u8"owner").at(u8"name").as_string() == u8"Tom Preston-Werner");
+
+        const auto dob = root.at(u8"owner").at(u8"dob" ).as_offset_datetime();
+        assert(dob.date  .year   ==  1979);
+        assert(dob.date  .month  ==  static_cast<int>(toml::month_t::May));
+        assert(dob.date  .day    ==  27);
+        assert(dob.time  .hour   ==  7);
+        assert(dob.time  .minute ==  32);
+        assert(dob.time  .second ==  0);
+        assert(dob.offset.hour   == -8);
+        assert(dob.offset.minute ==  0);
+
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"enabled").as_boolean());
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"ports").at(0).as_integer() == 8000);
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"ports").at(1).as_integer() == 8001);
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"ports").at(2).as_integer() == 8002);
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"data").at(0).at(0).as_string()   == u8"delta");
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"data").at(0).at(1).as_string()   == u8"phi");
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"data").at(1).at(0).as_floating() == 3.14);
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"temp_targets").at(u8"cpu" ).as_floating() == 79.5);
+        assert(root.at(u8"database").at(u8"temp_targets").at(u8"case").as_floating() == 72.0);
+
+        assert(root.at(u8"servers").at(u8"alpha").at(u8"ip"  ).as_string() == u8"10.0.0.1");
+        assert(root.at(u8"servers").at(u8"alpha").at(u8"role").as_string() == u8"frontend");
+        assert(root.at(u8"servers").at(u8"beta" ).at(u8"ip"  ).as_string() == u8"10.0.0.2");
+        assert(root.at(u8"servers").at(u8"beta" ).at(u8"role").as_string() == u8"backend");
+    }
+
+    // using toml::find
+    {
+        // you can get as std::string from u8string, using toml::get/find
+        assert(toml::find<std::string>(root, u8"title") == "TOML Example");
+
+        assert(toml::find<std::string>(root, u8"owner", u8"name") == "Tom Preston-Werner");
+
+        const auto dob = toml::find<toml::offset_datetime>(root, u8"owner", u8"dob");
+        assert(dob.date  .year   ==  1979);
+        assert(dob.date  .month  ==  static_cast<int>(toml::month_t::May));
+        assert(dob.date  .day    ==  27);
+        assert(dob.time  .hour   ==  7);
+        assert(dob.time  .minute ==  32);
+        assert(dob.time  .second ==  0);
+        assert(dob.offset.hour   == -8);
+        assert(dob.offset.minute ==  0);
+
+        assert(toml::find<bool>(root, u8"database", u8"enabled"));
+
+        const auto ports = toml::find<std::vector<int>>(root, u8"database", u8"ports");
+        assert(ports.at(0) == 8000);
+        assert(ports.at(1) == 8001);
+        assert(ports.at(2) == 8002);
+
+        const auto data = toml::find<std::pair<std::vector<std::string>, std::vector<double>>>(root, u8"database", u8"data");
+        assert(data.first.at(0)  == "delta");
+        assert(data.first.at(1)  == "phi");
+        assert(data.second.at(0) == 3.14);
+
+        const auto temp_targets = toml::find<std::map<std::string, double>>(root, u8"database", u8"temp_targets");
+        assert(temp_targets.at("cpu" ) == 79.5);
+        assert(temp_targets.at("case") == 72.0);
+
+        const auto servers = toml::find<std::map<std::string, std::map<std::string, std::string>>>(root, u8"servers");
+        assert(servers.at("alpha").at("ip"  ) == "10.0.0.1");
+        assert(servers.at("alpha").at("role") == "frontend");
+        assert(servers.at("beta" ).at("ip"  ) == "10.0.0.2");
+        assert(servers.at("beta" ).at("role") == "backend" );
+    }
+
+    const std::u8string out = toml::format(root);
+
+    std::string printable;
+    std::transform(out.begin(), out.end(), std::back_inserter(printable),
+            [](const char8_t c) {return static_cast<char>(c);});
+    std::cout << printable << std::endl;
+
+    std::cout << "ok." << std::endl;
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/include/toml11/get.hpp b/include/toml11/get.hpp
index 8cdad9c..3805d09 100644
--- a/include/toml11/get.hpp
+++ b/include/toml11/get.hpp
@@ -218,16 +218,33 @@ template<typename T, typename TC>
 cxx::enable_if_t<detail::is_std_tuple<T>::value, T>
 get(const basic_value<TC>&);
 
-// map-like
+// std::map<key, value> (key is convertible from toml::value::key_type)
 template<typename T, typename TC>
 cxx::enable_if_t<cxx::conjunction<
     detail::is_map<T>,                                  // T is map
     detail::is_not_toml_type<T, basic_value<TC>>,       // but not toml::table
+    std::is_convertible<typename basic_value<TC>::key_type,
+                        typename T::key_type>,          // keys are convertible
     cxx::negation<detail::has_from_toml_method<T, TC>>, // no T.from_toml()
     cxx::negation<detail::has_specialized_from<T>>,     // no toml::from<T>
     cxx::negation<std::is_constructible<T, const basic_value<TC>&>>
     >::value, T>
-get(const basic_value<TC>&);
+get(const basic_value<TC>& v);
+
+// std::map<key, value> (key is not convertible from toml::value::key_type, but
+// is a std::basic_string)
+template<typename T, typename TC>
+cxx::enable_if_t<cxx::conjunction<
+    detail::is_map<T>,                                  // T is map
+    detail::is_not_toml_type<T, basic_value<TC>>,       // but not toml::table
+    cxx::negation<std::is_convertible<typename basic_value<TC>::key_type,
+        typename T::key_type>>,                         // keys are NOT convertible
+    detail::is_1byte_std_basic_string<typename T::key_type>, // is std::basic_string
+    cxx::negation<detail::has_from_toml_method<T, TC>>, // no T.from_toml()
+    cxx::negation<detail::has_specialized_from<T>>,     // no toml::from<T>
+    cxx::negation<std::is_constructible<T, const basic_value<TC>&>>
+    >::value, T>
+get(const basic_value<TC>& v);
 
 // toml::from<T>::from_toml(v)
 template<typename T, typename TC>
@@ -384,10 +401,13 @@ get(const basic_value<TC>& v)
 // ============================================================================
 // map-like types; most likely STL map, like std::map or std::unordered_map.
 
+// key is convertible from toml::value::key_type
 template<typename T, typename TC>
 cxx::enable_if_t<cxx::conjunction<
     detail::is_map<T>,                                  // T is map
     detail::is_not_toml_type<T, basic_value<TC>>,       // but not toml::table
+    std::is_convertible<typename basic_value<TC>::key_type,
+                        typename T::key_type>,          // keys are convertible
     cxx::negation<detail::has_from_toml_method<T, TC>>, // no T.from_toml()
     cxx::negation<detail::has_specialized_from<T>>,     // no toml::from<T>
     cxx::negation<std::is_constructible<T, const basic_value<TC>&>>
@@ -409,6 +429,31 @@ get(const basic_value<TC>& v)
     return m;
 }
 
+// key is NOT convertible from toml::value::key_type but std::basic_string
+template<typename T, typename TC>
+cxx::enable_if_t<cxx::conjunction<
+    detail::is_map<T>,                                       // T is map
+    detail::is_not_toml_type<T, basic_value<TC>>,            // but not toml::table
+    cxx::negation<std::is_convertible<typename basic_value<TC>::key_type,
+        typename T::key_type>>,                              // keys are NOT convertible
+    detail::is_1byte_std_basic_string<typename T::key_type>, // is std::basic_string
+    cxx::negation<detail::has_from_toml_method<T, TC>>,      // no T.from_toml()
+    cxx::negation<detail::has_specialized_from<T>>,          // no toml::from<T>
+    cxx::negation<std::is_constructible<T, const basic_value<TC>&>>
+    >::value, T>
+get(const basic_value<TC>& v)
+{
+    using key_type    = typename T::key_type;
+    using mapped_type = typename T::mapped_type;
+
+    T m;
+    for(const auto& kv : v.as_table())
+    {
+        m.emplace(detail::string_conv<key_type>(kv.first), get<mapped_type>(kv.second));
+    }
+    return m;
+}
+
 // ============================================================================
 // user-defined, but convertible types.