diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 2d9afc3f2..ae267bb9c 100755
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -54,9 +54,13 @@ def setup_globals
   $manpages                =  $programs.collect { |name| "doc/man/#{name}.1" }
   $manpages                << "doc/man/mkvtoolnix-gui.1" if !$build_mkvtoolnix_gui
 
-  $system_includes         = "-I. -Ilib -Ilib/avilib-0.6.10 -Ilib/utf8-cpp/source -Isrc"
+  $system_includes         = "-I. -Ilib -Ilib/avilib-0.6.10 -Isrc"
   $system_libdirs          = "-Llib/avilib-0.6.10 -Llib/librmff -Lsrc/common"
 
+  if c?(:UTF8CPP_INTERNAL)
+    $system_includes      += " -Ilib/utf8-cpp/source"
+  end
+
   if c?(:PUGIXML_INTERNAL)
     $system_includes      += " -Ilib/pugixml/src"
     $system_libdirs       += " -Llib/pugixml/src"
diff --git a/ac/utf8cpp.m4 b/ac/utf8cpp.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f438175ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ac/utf8cpp.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+dnl
+dnl Check for UTF8-CPP
+dnl
+
+AC_LANG_PUSH(C++)
+
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([utf8.h])
+
+AC_LANG_POP
+
+if test x"$ac_cv_header_utf8_h" = xyes; then
+  AC_MSG_NOTICE([Using the system version of UTF8-CPP])
+  UTF8CPP_INTERNAL=no
+else
+  AC_MSG_NOTICE([Using the internal version of UTF8-CPP])
+  UTF8CPP_INTERNAL=yes
+fi
+
+AC_SUBST(UTF8CPP_INTERNAL)
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index fc0e70dba..beddf01ce 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ m4_include(ac/vorbis.m4)
 m4_include(ac/flac.m4)
 m4_include(ac/matroska.m4)
 m4_include(ac/pugixml.m4)
+m4_include(ac/utf8cpp.m4)
 m4_include(ac/zlib.m4)
 m4_include(ac/wxwidgets.m4)
 m4_include(ac/qt5.m4)