diff --git a/src/util/util_env.cpp b/src/util/util_env.cpp
index 528d1d2e4..c4a02477c 100644
--- a/src/util/util_env.cpp
+++ b/src/util/util_env.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ namespace dxvk::env {
     }
     
     result.resize(len);
-    return str::fromws(result);
+    return str::fromws(result.data());
   }
   
   
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace dxvk::env {
     DWORD len = ::GetModuleFileNameW(NULL, &exePath.at(0), MAX_PATH);
     exePath.resize(len);
     
-    std::string fullPath = str::fromws(exePath);
+    std::string fullPath = str::fromws(exePath.data());
     auto n = fullPath.find_last_of('\\');
     
     return (n != std::string::npos)
@@ -52,3 +52,23 @@ namespace dxvk::env {
   }
   
 }
+
+#ifdef CP_UNIXCP
+static constexpr int cp = CP_UNIXCP;
+#else
+static constexpr int cp = CP_ACP;
+#endif
+
+namespace dxvk::str {
+    std::string fromws(const WCHAR *ws) {
+        size_t len = WideCharToMultiByte(cp, 0, ws, -1, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL);
+        if (len <= 1)
+            return "";
+
+        len--;
+        std::string result;
+        result.resize(len);
+        WideCharToMultiByte(cp, 0, ws, -1, &result.at(0), len, NULL, NULL);
+        return result;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/util/util_string.h b/src/util/util_string.h
index 9704c5289..191c462d1 100644
--- a/src/util/util_string.h
+++ b/src/util/util_string.h
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include <locale>
-#include <codecvt>
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
+#include <windef.h>
 
 namespace dxvk::str {
   
@@ -22,8 +21,6 @@ namespace dxvk::str {
     return stream.str();
   }
   
-  inline std::string fromws(const std::wstring& ws) {
-    return std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8<wchar_t>>().to_bytes(ws);
-  }
+  std::string fromws(const WCHAR *ws);
   
 }