diff --git a/test/unit/datasource/geojson.cpp b/test/unit/datasource/geojson.cpp
index efbdd063b..1edeb4b55 100644
--- a/test/unit/datasource/geojson.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/datasource/geojson.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "catch.hpp"
 #include "ds_test_util.hpp"
 
+#include <mapnik/unicode.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/datasource.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/datasource_cache.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/geometry.hpp>
@@ -657,6 +658,7 @@ TEST_CASE("geojson") {
 
         SECTION("GeoJSON properties are properly expressed")
         {
+            mapnik::transcoder tr("utf8");
             mapnik::parameters params;
             params["type"] = "geojson";
 
@@ -693,21 +695,21 @@ TEST_CASE("geojson") {
                     auto fs = all_features(ds);
                     REQUIRE(bool(fs));
                     std::initializer_list<attr> attrs = {
-                        attr{"name", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"Test")},
-                        attr{"NOM_FR", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"Québec")},
-                        attr{"boolean", mapnik::value_bool(u8"true")},
-                        attr{"description", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"Test: \u005C")},
+                        attr{"name", tr.transcode("Test")},
+                        attr{"NOM_FR", tr.transcode("Québec")},
+                        attr{"boolean", mapnik::value_bool("true")},
+                        attr{"description", tr.transcode("Test: \u005C")},
                         attr{"double", mapnik::value_double(1.1)},
                         attr{"int", mapnik::value_integer(1)},
-                        attr{"object", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"{name:\"waka\",spaces:\"value with spaces\",int:1,double:1.1,boolean:false"
-                                                                    u8",NOM_FR:\"Québec\",array:[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true"
-                                                                    u8",\"Québec\"],another_object:{name:\"nested object\"}}")},
-                        attr{"spaces", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"this has spaces")},
-                        attr{"array", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true,"
-                                                                   u8"\"Québec\",{name:\"object within an array\"},"
-                                                                   u8"[\"array\",\"within\",\"an\",\"array\"]]")},
-                        attr{"empty_array", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"[]")},
-                        attr{"empty_object", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"{}")},
+                        attr{"object", tr.transcode("{name:\"waka\",spaces:\"value with spaces\",int:1,double:1.1,boolean:false"
+                                                    ",NOM_FR:\"Québec\",array:[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true"
+                                                    ",\"Québec\"],another_object:{name:\"nested object\"}}")},
+                        attr{"spaces", tr.transcode("this has spaces")},
+                        attr{"array", tr.transcode("[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true,"
+                                                   "\"Québec\",{name:\"object within an array\"},"
+                                                   "[\"array\",\"within\",\"an\",\"array\"]]")},
+                        attr{"empty_array", tr.transcode("[]")},
+                        attr{"empty_object", tr.transcode("{}")},
                     };
                     auto feature = fs->next();
                     REQUIRE(bool(feature));
diff --git a/test/unit/datasource/topojson.cpp b/test/unit/datasource/topojson.cpp
index c0ada73aa..6b1a2e1b1 100644
--- a/test/unit/datasource/topojson.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/datasource/topojson.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ bool parse_topology(std::string const& filename, mapnik::topojson::topology & to
 
 }
 
-TEST_CASE("topology")
+TEST_CASE("topojson")
 {
     SECTION("geometry parsing")
     {
@@ -91,21 +91,21 @@ TEST_CASE("topology")
             CHECK(feature);
             CHECK(feature->envelope() == bbox);
             std::initializer_list<attr> attrs = {
-                attr{"name", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"Test")},
-                attr{"NOM_FR", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"Québec")},
+                attr{"name", tr.transcode("Test")},
+                attr{"NOM_FR", tr.transcode("Québec")},
                 attr{"boolean", mapnik::value_bool("true")},
-                attr{"description", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"Test: \u005C")},
+                attr{"description", tr.transcode("Test: \u005C")},
                 attr{"double", mapnik::value_double(1.1)},
                 attr{"int", mapnik::value_integer(1)},
-                attr{"object", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"{name:\"waka\",spaces:\"value with spaces\",int:1,double:1.1,boolean:false"
-                                                            u8",NOM_FR:\"Québec\",array:[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true"
-                                                            u8",\"Québec\"],another_object:{name:\"nested object\"}}")},
-                attr{"spaces", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"this has spaces")},
-                attr{"array", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true,"
-                                                           u8"\"Québec\",{name:\"object within an array\"},"
-                                                           u8"[\"array\",\"within\",\"an\",\"array\"]]")},
-                attr{"empty_array", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"[]")},
-                attr{"empty_object", mapnik::value_unicode_string(u8"{}")},
+                attr{"object", tr.transcode("{name:\"waka\",spaces:\"value with spaces\",int:1,double:1.1,boolean:false"
+                                                            ",NOM_FR:\"Québec\",array:[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true"
+                                                            ",\"Québec\"],another_object:{name:\"nested object\"}}")},
+                attr{"spaces", tr.transcode("this has spaces")},
+                attr{"array", tr.transcode("[\"string\",\"value with spaces\",3,1.1,null,true,"
+                                                           "\"Québec\",{name:\"object within an array\"},"
+                                                           "[\"array\",\"within\",\"an\",\"array\"]]")},
+                attr{"empty_array", tr.transcode("[]")},
+                attr{"empty_object", tr.transcode("{}")},
             };
             REQUIRE_ATTRIBUTES(feature, attrs);
         }