diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9290e70..8927072 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ set(META_APP_URL "https://github.com/${META_APP_AUTHOR}/${META_PROJECT_NAME}")
 set(META_APP_DESCRIPTION "Useful C++ classes and routines such as argument parser, IO and conversion utilities")
 set(META_FEATURES_FOR_COMPILER_DETECTION_HEADER cxx_thread_local)
 set(META_VERSION_MAJOR 4)
-set(META_VERSION_MINOR 15)
-set(META_VERSION_PATCH 1)
+set(META_VERSION_MINOR 16)
+set(META_VERSION_PATCH 0)
 
 # find required 3rd party libraries
 include(3rdParty)
diff --git a/conversion/stringconversion.cpp b/conversion/stringconversion.cpp
index 34cb77f..c65cefb 100644
--- a/conversion/stringconversion.cpp
+++ b/conversion/stringconversion.cpp
@@ -8,12 +8,17 @@
 
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <iomanip>
+#include <limits>
 #include <memory>
 #include <sstream>
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <iconv.h>
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+#include <windows.h>
+#endif
+
 using namespace std;
 
 /*!
@@ -192,6 +197,40 @@ StringData convertUtf8ToLatin1(const char *inputBuffer, std::size_t inputBufferS
     return descriptor.convertString(inputBuffer, inputBufferSize);
 }
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+/*!
+ * \brief Converts the specified multi-byte string to a wide string using the WinAPI.
+ * \remarks
+ * - Only available under Windows.
+ * - If \a inputBufferSize is -1, \a inputBuffer is considered null-terminated.
+ */
+std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> convertMultiByteToWide(const char *inputBuffer, int inputBufferSize)
+{
+    // calculate required size
+    int requiredSize = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, inputBuffer, inputBufferSize, nullptr, 0);
+    std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> widePath;
+    if (requiredSize <= 0) {
+        return widePath;
+    }
+    // do the actual conversion
+    widePath = make_unique<wchar_t[]>(static_cast<size_t>(requiredSize));
+    requiredSize = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, inputBuffer, inputBufferSize, widePath.get(), requiredSize);
+    if (requiredSize <= 0) {
+        widePath.reset();
+    }
+    return widePath;
+}
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Converts the specified multi-byte string to a wide string using the WinAPI.
+ * \remarks Only available under Windows.
+ */
+std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> convertMultiByteToWide(const std::string &inputBuffer)
+{
+    return convertMultiByteToWide(inputBuffer.data(), inputBuffer.size() < numeric_limits<int>::max() ? static_cast<int>(inputBuffer.size()) : -1);
+}
+#endif
+
 /*!
  * \brief Truncates all characters after the first occurrence of the
  *        specified \a terminationChar and the termination character as well.
diff --git a/conversion/stringconversion.h b/conversion/stringconversion.h
index 3571e0d..4a71b27 100644
--- a/conversion/stringconversion.h
+++ b/conversion/stringconversion.h
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT StringData convertUtf16BEToUtf8(const char *inputBuffer, st
 CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT StringData convertLatin1ToUtf8(const char *inputBuffer, std::size_t inputBufferSize);
 CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT StringData convertUtf8ToLatin1(const char *inputBuffer, std::size_t inputBufferSize);
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> convertMultiByteToWide(const char *inputBuffer, int inputBufferSize = -1);
+CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> convertMultiByteToWide(const std::string &inputBuffer);
+#endif
+
 CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT void truncateString(std::string &str, char terminationChar = '\0');
 
 /*!
diff --git a/io/nativefilestream.cpp b/io/nativefilestream.cpp
index 476f0af..2675138 100644
--- a/io/nativefilestream.cpp
+++ b/io/nativefilestream.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 #ifdef CPP_UTILITIES_USE_NATIVE_FILE_BUFFER
 #include "./catchiofailure.h"
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+#include "../conversion/stringconversion.h"
+#endif
+
 // include header files for file buffer implementation
 #if defined(CPP_UTILITIES_USE_GNU_CXX_STDIO_FILEBUF)
 #include <ext/stdio_filebuf.h>
@@ -262,7 +266,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<std::basic_streambuf<char>> NativeFileStream::makeFileBuffer(int
     // compute native params
     const NativeFileParams nativeParams(openMode);
 
-
 #ifdef CPP_UTILITIES_USE_GNU_CXX_STDIO_FILEBUF
     // open file handle to initialize stdio_filebuf
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
@@ -291,13 +294,8 @@ std::unique_ptr<std::basic_streambuf<char>> NativeFileStream::makeFileBuffer(int
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
 std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> NativeFileStream::makeWidePath(const std::string &path)
 {
-    int requiredSize = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, path.data(), -1, nullptr, 0);
-    if (requiredSize <= 0) {
-        ::IoUtilities::throwIoFailure("Unable to calculate buffer size for conversion of path to UTF-16");
-    }
-    auto widePath = make_unique<wchar_t[]>(static_cast<size_t>(requiredSize));
-    requiredSize = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, path.data(), -1, widePath.get(), requiredSize);
-    if (requiredSize <= 0) {
+    auto widePath = ::ConversionUtilities::convertMultiByteToWide(path);
+    if (!widePath) {
         ::IoUtilities::throwIoFailure("Unable to convert path to UTF-16");
     }
     return widePath;
diff --git a/tests/testutils.cpp b/tests/testutils.cpp
index e0413c1..f563fac 100644
--- a/tests/testutils.cpp
+++ b/tests/testutils.cpp
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 #include "../io/ansiescapecodes.h"
 #include "../io/catchiofailure.h"
 #include "../io/misc.h"
-#include "../io/path.h"
 #include "../io/nativefilestream.h"
+#include "../io/path.h"
 
 #include <cerrno>
 #include <cstdlib>