diff --git a/linux/Makefile b/linux/Makefile
index 2cb11265..5b57833a 100644
--- a/linux/Makefile
+++ b/linux/Makefile
@@ -112,6 +112,22 @@ $(DOWNLOADS)/pixman/autogen.sh:
 	$(CLONE) $(GITLAB)/mkxp-z/pixman $(DOWNLOADS)/pixman
 
 
+# uchardet
+uchardet: init_dirs $(LIBDIR)/libuchardet.a
+
+$(LIBDIR)/libuchardet.a: $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/cmakebuild/Makefile
+	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/cmakebuild; \
+	make -j$(NPROC); make install
+
+$(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/cmakebuild/Makefile: $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/CMakeLists.txt
+	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet; \
+	mkdir cmakebuild; cd cmakebuild; \
+	$(CMAKE) -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=no
+
+$(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/CMakeLists.txt:
+	$(CLONE) $(GITHUB)/freedesktop/uchardet $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet
+
+
 # PhysFS
 
 physfs: init_dirs $(LIBDIR)/libphysfs.a
@@ -317,5 +333,5 @@ powerwash: clean-downloads
 clean-downloads:
 	-rm -rf downloads
 
-deps-core: libvorbis sigcxx pixman libpng libjpeg physfs sdl2 sdl2image sdlsound sdl2ttf openal openssl fluidsynth
+deps-core: libvorbis sigcxx pixman libpng libjpeg physfs sdl2 sdl2image sdlsound sdl2ttf openal openssl fluidsynth uchardet
 everything: deps-core ruby
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/windows/Makefile b/windows/Makefile
index 03411551..7eaeeec7 100755
--- a/windows/Makefile
+++ b/windows/Makefile
@@ -145,6 +145,21 @@ $(DOWNLOADS)/libjpeg/cmakebuild/Makefile: $(DOWNLOADS)/libjpeg/CMakeLists.txt
 $(DOWNLOADS)/libjpeg/CMakeLists.txt:
 	$(CLONE) $(GITLAB)/mkxp-z/libjpeg-turbo $(DOWNLOADS)/libjpeg
 
+# uchardet
+uchardet: init_dirs $(LIBDIR)/libuchardet.a
+
+$(LIBDIR)/libuchardet.a: $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/cmakebuild/Makefile
+	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/cmakebuild; \
+	make -j$(NPROC); make install
+
+$(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/cmakebuild/Makefile: $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/CMakeLists.txt
+	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet; \
+	mkdir cmakebuild; cd cmakebuild; \
+	$(CMAKE) -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=no
+
+$(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet/CMakeLists.txt:
+	$(CLONE) $(GITHUB)/freedesktop/uchardet $(DOWNLOADS)/uchardet
+
 # SDL2
 sdl2: init_dirs $(LIBDIR)/libSDL2.a
 
@@ -305,5 +320,5 @@ powerwash: clean-downloads
 clean-downloads:
 	-rm -rf downloads
 
-deps-core: libvorbis pixman libpng libjpeg physfs sdl2 sdl2image sdlsound sdl2ttf openal openssl fluidsynth
+deps-core: libvorbis pixman libpng libjpeg physfs sdl2 sdl2image sdlsound sdl2ttf openal openssl fluidsynth uchardet
 everything: deps-core ruby