diff --git a/uppsrc/Core/String.cpp b/uppsrc/Core/String.cpp
index be5ae42a1..c18219940 100644
--- a/uppsrc/Core/String.cpp
+++ b/uppsrc/Core/String.cpp
@@ -307,6 +307,11 @@ WString String::ToWString() const
 	return WString(Begin(), GetCount());
 }
 
+int String::GetCharCount() const
+{
+	return GetDefaultCharset() == CHARSET_UTF8 ?  utf8len(Begin(), GetCount()) : GetCount();	
+}
+
 String::String(StringBuffer& b)
 {
 	if(b.begin == b.buffer) {
diff --git a/uppsrc/Core/String.h b/uppsrc/Core/String.h
index ab03d05ad..3ebbf621b 100644
--- a/uppsrc/Core/String.h
+++ b/uppsrc/Core/String.h
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@ public:
 	String& operator<<=(const String& s)                   { if(this != &s) { String0::Free(); String0::Set(s, s.GetCount()); } return *this; }
 
 	void   Shrink()                                        { *this = String(Begin(), GetLength()); }
+	int    GetCharCount() const;
 
 	String()                                               {}
 	String(const Nuller&)                                  {}
diff --git a/uppsrc/Core/src.tpp/String$en-us.tpp b/uppsrc/Core/src.tpp/String$en-us.tpp
index b95a987bb..b72980372 100644
--- a/uppsrc/Core/src.tpp/String$en-us.tpp
+++ b/uppsrc/Core/src.tpp/String$en-us.tpp
@@ -100,6 +100,13 @@ empty [* String]).&]
 [s2; Reduces memory used by string to minimum (size optimization).&]
 [s3; &]
 [s4;%- &]
+[s5;:String`:`:GetCharCount`(`)const:%- [@(0.0.255) int]_[* GetCharCount]()_[@(0.0.255) con
+st]&]
+[s2; Returns a number of characters contained in String. This is 
+equal GetCount() if default charset is not UTF`-8, but different 
+for UTF`-8. It is faster equivalent of ToWString().GetCount().&]
+[s3;%- &]
+[s4;%- &]
 [s5;:String`:`:ToWString`(`)const:%- [_^WString^ WString]_[* ToWString]()_[@(0.0.255) const
 ]&]
 [s2; Convert String to WString using current default character set.&]