diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 812cc428..69439aca 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ gtk_layer_shell = dependency('gtk-layer-shell-0',
         fallback : ['gtk-layer-shell', 'gtk_layer_shell_dep'])
 systemd = dependency('systemd', required: get_option('systemd'))
 tz_dep = dependency('date', default_options : [ 'use_system_tzdb=true' ], fallback: [ 'date', 'tz_dep' ])
-utfcpp = dependency('utfcpp', fallback: [ 'utfcpp', 'utfcpp_dep' ])
 
 prefix = get_option('prefix')
 conf_data = configuration_data()
@@ -169,8 +168,7 @@ executable(
         libudev,
         libmpdclient,
         gtk_layer_shell,
-        tz_dep,
-        utfcpp
+        tz_dep
     ],
     include_directories: [include_directories('include')],
     install: true,
diff --git a/src/modules/clock.cpp b/src/modules/clock.cpp
index f9181378..5efca403 100644
--- a/src/modules/clock.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/clock.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #include "modules/clock.hpp"
 #include <sstream>
-#include <utf8.h>
 
 using zoned_time = date::zoned_time<std::chrono::system_clock::duration>;
 
@@ -11,31 +10,18 @@ struct waybar_time {
 
 namespace {
 
-size_t utf8_strlen(const std::string& s) {
-  return utf8::distance(s.begin(), s.end());
-}
-
-std::string utf8_substr(const std::string s, size_t len) {
-  utf8::iterator it(s.begin(), s.begin(), s.end());
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
-    ++it;
-  }
-  int byte_count = it.base() - s.begin();
-  return s.substr(0, byte_count);
-}
-
 void weekdays_header(const std::locale& locale, const date::weekday& first_dow, std::ostream& os) {
   auto wd = first_dow;
   do {
     if (wd != first_dow) os << ' ';
-    auto wd_string = date::format(locale, "%a", wd);
-    auto wd_string_len = utf8_strlen(wd_string);
-    if (wd_string_len > 2) {
-      wd_string = utf8_substr(wd_string, 2);
-      wd_string_len = 2;
+    Glib::ustring wd_ustring(date::format(locale, "%a", wd));
+    auto wd_len = wd_ustring.length();
+    if (wd_len > 2) {
+      wd_ustring = wd_ustring.substr(0, 2);
+      wd_len = 2;
     }
-    const std::string pad(2 - wd_string_len, ' ');
-    os << pad << wd_string;
+    const std::string pad(2 - wd_len, ' ');
+    os << pad << wd_ustring;
   } while (++wd != first_dow);
   os << "\n";
 }
diff --git a/subprojects/utfcpp.wrap b/subprojects/utfcpp.wrap
deleted file mode 100644
index 51cf131b..00000000
--- a/subprojects/utfcpp.wrap
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-[wrap-file]
-directory = utfcpp-2.3.5
-source_url = https://github.com/nemtrif/utfcpp/archive/v2.3.5.zip
-source_filename = utfcpp-2.3.5.zip
-source_hash = 1d5cb7d908202d734ec35b84087400013f352ffb4612e978ffb948986b76df14
-
-patch_url = https://github.com/mesonbuild/utfcpp/releases/download/2.3.5-1/utfcpp.zip
-patch_filename = utfcpp-2.3.5-1-wrap.zip
-patch_hash = 5f504de947b34bb5995fcdb66a1ea1392288076a9400ead829da79e73441a13f