diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index a82f196..9ce4e91 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 language: perl
 
 perl:
-   - "blead"
+   - "5.24"
+   - "5.22"
    - "5.20"
    - "5.18"
    - "5.16"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eb53321..85e49bb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,18 +29,18 @@ Example configuration:
 
     log4perl.appender.Test.layout.prefix = @cee:
 
-
     # Include the data in the Log::Log4perl::MDC hash (optional)
     log4perl.appender.Test.layout.include_mdc = 1
 
     # Use this field name for MDC data (else MDC data is placed at top level)
     log4perl.appender.Test.layout.name_for_mdc = mdc
 
-
     # Use canonical order for hash keys (optional)
-
     log4perl.appender.Test.layout.canonical = 1
 
+	# Encode the JSON hash to UTF-8
+	log4perl.appender.Test.layout.utf8 = 1
+
 # DESCRIPTION
 
 This class implements a "Log::Log4perl" layout format, similar to
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ hash.
 
 The JSON hash is ASCII encoded, with no newlines or other whitespace,
 and is suitable for output, via Log::Log4perl appenders, to files and
-syslog etc.
+syslog etc. The JSON hash can, optionally, be UTF-8 encoded.
 
 Contextual data in the Log::Log4perl::MDC hash can be included.
 
diff --git a/lib/Log/Log4perl/Layout/JSON.pm b/lib/Log/Log4perl/Layout/JSON.pm
index ac4fabd..d7d00b7 100644
--- a/lib/Log/Log4perl/Layout/JSON.pm
+++ b/lib/Log/Log4perl/Layout/JSON.pm
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ field removed.
 
 In future this rather dumb logic will be replaced by something smarter.
 
+=head2 utf8
+
+Switch JSON encoding from ASCII to UTF-8.
+
 =head2 EXAMPLE USING Log::Log4perl::MDC
 
     local Log::Log4perl::MDC->get_context->{request} = {
@@ -237,6 +241,12 @@ sub BUILD { ## no critic (RequireArgUnpacking)
 
     $self->field(delete $args->{field}) if $args->{field};
 
+	# Optionally override encoding from ascii to utf8
+	if (my $arg = $args->{utf8}) {
+		delete $args->{utf8};
+	    $self->codec( $self->codec->ascii(0)->utf8(1) );
+    }
+
     for my $arg_name (qw(
         canonical prefix include_mdc name_for_mdc max_json_length_kb
     )) {
diff --git a/t/10-basic.t b/t/10-basic.t
index 749d758..7e7e5ac 100644
--- a/t/10-basic.t
+++ b/t/10-basic.t
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ use Test::Most;
 
 use Log::Log4perl;
 
+use utf8;
+use Encode;
 
 subtest "no mdc" => sub {
 
@@ -123,4 +125,28 @@ subtest "without mdc" => sub {
     $appender->string('');
 };
 
+subtest "utf8_configured_and_non_ascii_data" => sub {
+
+    my $conf = qq(
+        log4perl.rootLogger = INFO, Test
+        log4perl.appender.Test = Log::Log4perl::Appender::String
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout = Log::Log4perl::Layout::JSON
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout.field.message = %m
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout.canonical = 1
+		log4perl.appender.Test.layout.utf8 = 1
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout.field.category = %c
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout.field.class = %C
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout.field.file = %F{1}
+        log4perl.appender.Test.layout.field.sub = %M{1}
+    );
+    Log::Log4perl::init( \$conf );
+
+    ok my $appender = Log::Log4perl->appender_by_name("Test");
+    ok my $logger  = Log::Log4perl->get_logger('foo');
+
+    $logger->info('A string containing ütf8');
+
+    is_deeply $appender->string(), encode_utf8('{"category":"foo","class":"Log::Log4perl::Logger","file":"Logger.pm","message":"A string containing ütf8","sub":"__ANON__"}')."\n";
+};
+
 done_testing();