diff --git a/include/simdjson/implementation.h b/include/simdjson/implementation.h
index c828dc97..4eb6e73c 100644
--- a/include/simdjson/implementation.h
+++ b/include/simdjson/implementation.h
@@ -83,6 +83,18 @@ public:
    * @return the error code, or SUCCESS if there was no error.
    */
   WARN_UNUSED virtual error_code minify(const uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t *dst, size_t &dst_len) const noexcept = 0;
+  
+  
+  /**   
+   * Validate the UTF-8 string.
+   *
+   * Overridden by each implementation.
+   *
+   * @param buf the string to validate.
+   * @param len the length of the string in bytes.
+   * @return true if and only if the string is valid UTF-8.
+   */
+  WARN_UNUSED virtual bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept = 0;
 
 protected:
   /** @private Construct an implementation with the given name and description. For subclasses. */
diff --git a/src/arm64/implementation.h b/src/arm64/implementation.h
index 32d998d4..5f679efb 100644
--- a/src/arm64/implementation.h
+++ b/src/arm64/implementation.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public:
     std::unique_ptr<internal::dom_parser_implementation>& dst
   ) const noexcept final;
   WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t *dst, size_t &dst_len) const noexcept final;
-  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept;//mark final
+  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept final;
 };
 
 } // namespace arm64
diff --git a/src/fallback/implementation.h b/src/fallback/implementation.h
index ee099d8d..d05d594a 100644
--- a/src/fallback/implementation.h
+++ b/src/fallback/implementation.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public:
     std::unique_ptr<internal::dom_parser_implementation>& dst
   ) const noexcept final;
   WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t *dst, size_t &dst_len) const noexcept final;
-  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept;//mark final
+  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept final;
 };
 
 } // namespace fallback
diff --git a/src/haswell/implementation.h b/src/haswell/implementation.h
index 7a2dbe9e..e50d970b 100644
--- a/src/haswell/implementation.h
+++ b/src/haswell/implementation.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public:
     std::unique_ptr<internal::dom_parser_implementation>& dst
   ) const noexcept final;
   WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t *dst, size_t &dst_len) const noexcept final;
-  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept;//mark final
+  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept final;
 };
 
 } // namespace haswell
diff --git a/src/implementation.cpp b/src/implementation.cpp
index 1c5c516d..32ee2666 100644
--- a/src/implementation.cpp
+++ b/src/implementation.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ public:
   WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t *dst, size_t &dst_len) const noexcept final {
     return set_best()->minify(buf, len, dst, dst_len);
   }
-
+  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char * buf, size_t len) const noexcept final override {
+    return set_best()->utf8_validate(buf, len);
+  }
   really_inline detect_best_supported_implementation_on_first_use() noexcept : implementation("best_supported_detector", "Detects the best supported implementation and sets it", 0) {}
 private:
   const implementation *set_best() const noexcept;
@@ -83,10 +85,12 @@ public:
   ) const noexcept final {
     return UNSUPPORTED_ARCHITECTURE;
   }
-  WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *, size_t, uint8_t *, size_t &) const noexcept final {
+  WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *, size_t, uint8_t *, size_t &) const noexcept final override {
     return UNSUPPORTED_ARCHITECTURE;
   }
-
+  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *, size_t) const noexcept final override {
+    return false; // just refuse the validate
+  }
   unsupported_implementation() : implementation("unsupported", "Unsupported CPU (no detected SIMD instructions)", 0) {}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/westmere/implementation.h b/src/westmere/implementation.h
index a960a3d6..43847810 100644
--- a/src/westmere/implementation.h
+++ b/src/westmere/implementation.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public:
     std::unique_ptr<internal::dom_parser_implementation>& dst
   ) const noexcept final;
   WARN_UNUSED error_code minify(const uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t *dst, size_t &dst_len) const noexcept final;
-  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept;//mark final
+  WARN_UNUSED bool utf8_validate(const char *buf, size_t len) const noexcept final;
 };
 
 } // namespace westmere