diff --git a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json.md b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json.md
index a3a4bd28b..fdf6e8369 100644
--- a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json.md
+++ b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ```cpp
 json operator ""_json(const char* s, std::size_t n);
+json operator ""_json(const char8_t* s, std::size_t n);  // since C++20
 ```
 
 This operator implements a user-defined string literal for JSON objects. It can be used by adding `#!cpp _json` to a
@@ -59,3 +60,4 @@ Linear.
 
 - Added in version 1.0.0.
 - Moved to namespace `nlohmann::literals::json_literals` in 3.11.0.
+- Added `char8_t*` overload in 3.12.1.
diff --git a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json_pointer.md b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json_pointer.md
index 423678c77..2c3d6a13a 100644
--- a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json_pointer.md
+++ b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/operator_literal_json_pointer.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ```cpp
 json_pointer operator ""_json_pointer(const char* s, std::size_t n);
+json_pointer operator ""_json_pointer(const char8_t* s, std::size_t n);  // since C++20
 ```
 
 This operator implements a user-defined string literal for JSON Pointers. It can be used by adding `#!cpp _json_pointer`
@@ -62,3 +63,4 @@ Linear.
 
 - Added in version 2.0.0.
 - Moved to namespace `nlohmann::literals::json_literals` in 3.11.0.
+- Added `char8_t*` overload in 3.12.1.
diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index e0dd53335..d4502a5c9 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -5283,6 +5283,15 @@ JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
     return nlohmann::json::parse(s, s + n);
 }
 
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
+inline nlohmann::json operator""_json(const char8_t* s, std::size_t n)
+{
+    return nlohmann::json::parse(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s),
+                                 reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s) + n);
+}
+#endif
+
 /// @brief user-defined string literal for JSON pointer
 /// @sa https://json.nlohmann.me/api/basic_json/operator_literal_json_pointer/
 JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
@@ -5296,6 +5305,13 @@ JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
     return nlohmann::json::json_pointer(std::string(s, n));
 }
 
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+inline nlohmann::json::json_pointer operator""_json_pointer(const char8_t* s, std::size_t n)
+{
+    return nlohmann::json::json_pointer(std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s), n));
+}
+#endif
+
 }  // namespace json_literals
 }  // namespace literals
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 2a1333881..ceb7a9f11 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -25402,6 +25402,15 @@ JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
     return nlohmann::json::parse(s, s + n);
 }
 
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
+inline nlohmann::json operator""_json(const char8_t* s, std::size_t n)
+{
+    return nlohmann::json::parse(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s),
+                                 reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s) + n);
+}
+#endif
+
 /// @brief user-defined string literal for JSON pointer
 /// @sa https://json.nlohmann.me/api/basic_json/operator_literal_json_pointer/
 JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
@@ -25415,6 +25424,13 @@ JSON_HEDLEY_NON_NULL(1)
     return nlohmann::json::json_pointer(std::string(s, n));
 }
 
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+inline nlohmann::json::json_pointer operator""_json_pointer(const char8_t* s, std::size_t n)
+{
+    return nlohmann::json::json_pointer(std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(s), n));
+}
+#endif
+
 }  // namespace json_literals
 }  // namespace literals
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-deserialization.cpp b/tests/src/unit-deserialization.cpp
index 78b07f11f..1ed0d2e0f 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-deserialization.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-deserialization.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ using nlohmann::json;
 #include <sstream>
 #include <valarray>
 
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+    #define NOMINMAX
+    #include <windows.h> // for GetACP()
+#endif
+
 namespace
 {
 struct SaxEventLogger : public nlohmann::json_sax<json>
@@ -213,6 +218,20 @@ class proxy_iterator
   private:
     iterator* m_it = nullptr;
 };
+
+// JSON_HAS_CPP_20
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+bool check_utf8()
+{
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+    // Runtime check of the active ANSI code page
+    // 65001 == UTF-8
+    return GetACP() == 65001;
+#else
+    return true;
+#endif
+}
+#endif
 } // namespace
 
 TEST_CASE("deserialization")
@@ -1132,6 +1151,31 @@ TEST_CASE("deserialization")
             CHECK(object_count == 4);
         }
     }
+
+    // build with C++20
+    // JSON_HAS_CPP_20
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+    SECTION("Using _json with char8_t literals #4945")
+    {
+        // Regular narrow string literal
+        const auto j1 = R"({"key": "value", "num": 42})"_json;
+        CHECK(j1["key"] == "value");
+        CHECK(j1["num"] == 42);
+
+        // UTF-8 prefixed literal (C++20 and later);
+        // MSVC may not set /utf-8, so we need to check
+        if (check_utf8())
+        {
+            const auto j2 = u8R"({"emoji": "😀", "msg": "hello"})"_json;
+            CHECK(j2["emoji"] == "😀");
+            CHECK(j2["msg"] == "hello");
+        }
+
+        const auto j3 = u8R"({"key": "value", "num": 42})"_json;
+        CHECK(j3["key"] == "value");
+        CHECK(j3["num"] == 42);
+    }
+#endif
 }
 
 // select the types to test - char8_t is only available since C++20 if and only
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp b/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp
index 9d6f1c326..a92a8df4d 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-json_pointer.cpp
@@ -788,4 +788,18 @@ TEST_CASE("JSON pointers")
             CHECK_FALSE(ptr_oj != ptr);
         }
     }
+
+    // build with C++20
+    // JSON_HAS_CPP_20
+#if defined(__cpp_char8_t)
+    SECTION("Using _json_pointer with char8_t literals #4945")
+    {
+        const json j = R"({"a": {"b": {"c": 123}}})"_json;
+        const auto p1 = "/a/b/c"_json_pointer;
+        CHECK(j[p1] == 123);
+
+        const auto p2 = u8"/a/b/c"_json_pointer;
+        CHECK(j[p2] == 123);
+    }
+#endif
 }