diff --git a/RedPandaIDE/settings.cpp b/RedPandaIDE/settings.cpp
index 9b9bbcfd..b1e044a5 100644
--- a/RedPandaIDE/settings.cpp
+++ b/RedPandaIDE/settings.cpp
@@ -2920,6 +2920,7 @@ bool Settings::CompilerSet::isOutputExecutable(CompilationStage stage)
     return stage == CompilationStage::GenerateExecutable;
 }
 
+#ifdef Q_OS_WINDOWS
 bool Settings::CompilerSet::isDebugInfoUsingUTF8() const
 {
     switch(mCompilerType) {
@@ -2927,30 +2928,10 @@ bool Settings::CompilerSet::isDebugInfoUsingUTF8() const
     case CompilerType::GCC_UTF8:
         return true;
     case CompilerType::GCC:
-#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
-        if (mainVersion()>=13) {
-            bool isOk;
-            int productVersion = QSysInfo::productVersion().toInt(&isOk);
-        //    qDebug()<<productVersion<<isOk;
-            if (!isOk) {
-                if (QSysInfo::productVersion().startsWith("7"))
-                    productVersion=7;
-                else if (QSysInfo::productVersion().startsWith("10"))
-                    productVersion=10;
-                else if (QSysInfo::productVersion().startsWith("11"))
-                    productVersion=11;
-                else
-                    productVersion=10;
-            }
-            return productVersion>=10;
-        }
-#else
-        break;
-#endif
+        return applicationIsUtf8(mCCompiler);
     default:
-        break;
+        return false;
     }
-    return false;
 }
 
 bool Settings::CompilerSet::forceUTF8() const
@@ -2962,6 +2943,7 @@ bool Settings::CompilerSet::isCompilerInfoUsingUTF8() const
 {
     return isDebugInfoUsingUTF8();
 }
+#endif
 
 const QString &Settings::CompilerSet::assemblingSuffix() const
 {
diff --git a/RedPandaIDE/settings.h b/RedPandaIDE/settings.h
index b5f84534..8463669c 100644
--- a/RedPandaIDE/settings.h
+++ b/RedPandaIDE/settings.h
@@ -1454,9 +1454,15 @@ public:
         bool isOutputExecutable();
         bool isOutputExecutable(Settings::CompilerSet::CompilationStage stage);
 
+#ifdef Q_OS_WINDOWS
         bool isDebugInfoUsingUTF8() const;
         bool forceUTF8() const;
         bool isCompilerInfoUsingUTF8() const;
+#else
+        constexpr bool isDebugInfoUsingUTF8() const { return true; }
+        constexpr bool forceUTF8() const { return true; }
+        constexpr bool isCompilerInfoUsingUTF8() const { return true; }
+#endif
 
         bool persistInAutoFind() const;
         void setPersistInAutoFind(bool newPersistInAutoFind);
diff --git a/RedPandaIDE/utils.cpp b/RedPandaIDE/utils.cpp
index 2dd692ca..740e4de2 100644
--- a/RedPandaIDE/utils.cpp
+++ b/RedPandaIDE/utils.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include <QSysInfo>
 #include <QVersionNumber>
 #include <QRandomGenerator>
+#include <QOperatingSystemVersion>
+#include <QtXml>
 #include "editor.h"
 #include "editorlist.h"
 #include "settings.h"
@@ -792,3 +794,46 @@ ExternalResource::~ExternalResource() {
     Q_CLEANUP_RESOURCE(qsynedit_qmake_qmake_qm_files);
     Q_CLEANUP_RESOURCE(redpanda_qt_utils_qmake_qmake_qm_files);
 }
+
+#ifdef Q_OS_WINDOWS
+bool applicationHasUtf8Manifest(const wchar_t *path)
+{
+    auto module = resourcePointer(LoadLibraryExW(path, nullptr, LOAD_LIBRARY_AS_DATAFILE), &FreeLibrary);
+    if (!module)
+        return false;
+    HRSRC resInfo = FindResourceW(
+        module.get(),
+        MAKEINTRESOURCEW(1) /* CREATEPROCESS_MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID */,
+        MAKEINTRESOURCEW(24) /* RT_MANIFEST */);
+    if (!resInfo)
+        return false;
+    auto res = resourcePointer(LoadResource(module.get(), resInfo), &FreeResource);
+    if (!res)
+        return false;
+    char *data = (char *)LockResource(res.get());
+    DWORD size = SizeofResource(module.get(), resInfo);
+    QByteArray manifest(data, size);
+    QDomDocument doc;
+    if (!doc.setContent(manifest))
+        return false;
+    QDomNodeList acpNodes = doc.elementsByTagName("activeCodePage");
+    if (acpNodes.isEmpty())
+        return false;
+    QDomElement acpNode = acpNodes.item(0).toElement();
+    // case sensitive
+    // ref. https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20220531-00/?p=106697
+    return acpNode.text() == QStringLiteral("UTF-8");
+}
+
+bool osSupportsUtf8Manifest()
+{
+    // since Windows 10 1903 (accurate build number unknown)
+    // ref. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/globalizing/use-utf8-code-page
+    return QOperatingSystemVersion::current().microVersion() >= 18362;
+}
+
+bool applicationIsUtf8(const QString &path)
+{
+    return osSupportsUtf8Manifest() && applicationHasUtf8Manifest((wchar_t *)path.constData());
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/RedPandaIDE/utils.h b/RedPandaIDE/utils.h
index 54e9dd06..ef4aac82 100644
--- a/RedPandaIDE/utils.h
+++ b/RedPandaIDE/utils.h
@@ -215,4 +215,16 @@ struct ExternalResource {
     ~ExternalResource();
 };
 
+template <typename T, typename D>
+std::unique_ptr<T, D> resourcePointer(T *pointer, D deleter)
+{
+    return {pointer, deleter};
+}
+
+#ifdef Q_OS_WINDOWS
+bool applicationHasUtf8Manifest(const wchar_t *path);
+bool osSupportsUtf8Manifest();
+bool applicationIsUtf8(const QString &path);
+#endif
+
 #endif // UTILS_H
diff --git a/RedPandaIDE/xmake.lua b/RedPandaIDE/xmake.lua
index 3d0ba3d4..0b28828c 100644
--- a/RedPandaIDE/xmake.lua
+++ b/RedPandaIDE/xmake.lua
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ target("RedPandaIDE")
     add_rules("qt.widgetapp", "qt.ts")
 
     add_deps("redpanda_qt_utils", "qsynedit")
-    add_frameworks("QtNetwork", "QtPrintSupport", "QtSvg")
+    add_frameworks("QtNetwork", "QtPrintSupport", "QtSvg", "QtXml")
     add_includedirs(".")
 
     -- defines