diff --git a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/json_use_simdutf.md b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/json_use_simdutf.md
index 507a1009b..26c54225d 100644
--- a/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/json_use_simdutf.md
+++ b/docs/mkdocs/docs/api/macros/json_use_simdutf.md
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ scalar path.
 When `JSON_USE_SIMDUTF` is defined you must make the `simdutf.h` header available on the include path and link the
 simdutf library. When it is not defined, no simdutf header is included and there is no dependency.
 
+!!! note "Requires C++17"
+
+    simdutf requires C++17 and its header rejects older standards with an `#!cpp #error`. The backend is therefore only
+    compiled in from C++17 on. In C++11 and C++14 the macro has no effect and the scalar validator is used, which
+    accepts and rejects exactly the same input -- only throughput differs. Setting the macro project-wide is therefore
+    safe even when some translation units are built with an older standard.
+
 !!! warning "Define consistently"
 
     The macro selects between two definitions of the same inline validation function. It must therefore be defined
diff --git a/include/nlohmann/detail/input/string_scan.hpp b/include/nlohmann/detail/input/string_scan.hpp
index 63c74db85..dc5b07a54 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/detail/input/string_scan.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/detail/input/string_scan.hpp
@@ -12,17 +12,23 @@
 #include <cstdint> // uint64_t
 #include <cstring> // memcpy
 
-#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF)
-    // Optional SIMD backend for bulk UTF-8 validation. This is an opt-in
-    // external dependency: nlohmann/json itself stays header-only and the C++11
-    // scalar validator below is always available; defining JSON_USE_SIMDUTF
-    // additionally requires the simdutf headers on the include path and linking
-    // the simdutf library. See string_bulk_run().
+#include <nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp>
+
+// Optional SIMD backend for bulk UTF-8 validation. This is an opt-in external
+// dependency: nlohmann/json itself stays header-only and the C++11 scalar
+// validator below is always available; defining JSON_USE_SIMDUTF additionally
+// requires the simdutf headers on the include path and linking the simdutf
+// library. See string_bulk_run().
+//
+// simdutf.h itself requires C++17 - it rejects older standards with an #error -
+// so the backend is only compiled in from C++17 on. Below that the macro has no
+// effect and the scalar validator is used; it accepts and rejects exactly the
+// same input, so only throughput differs. macro_scope.hpp is included above to
+// have JSON_HAS_CPP_17 available for this test.
+#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF) && defined(JSON_HAS_CPP_17)
     #include <simdutf.h>
 #endif
 
-#include <nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp>
-
 // This file contains the byte-level string-scanning helpers used by the lexer's
 // contiguous fast path. They operate purely on raw bytes (no dependency on the
 // lexer's template parameters) so they are free functions, keeping the lexer
@@ -174,7 +180,7 @@ inline std::size_t scalar_string_bulk_run(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t
     return pos;
 }
 
-#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF)
+#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF) && defined(JSON_HAS_CPP_17)
 // Index of the first quote/escape/control byte in [data, data+n) (non-ASCII
 // bytes are *not* stops here - the whole run is handed to simdutf), or n.
 inline std::size_t find_string_delimiter(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t n) noexcept
@@ -221,7 +227,7 @@ inline std::size_t find_string_delimiter(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t
 // produces the precise diagnostic. Without it, the pure scalar path is used.
 inline std::size_t string_bulk_run(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t n) noexcept
 {
-#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF)
+#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF) && defined(JSON_HAS_CPP_17)
     const std::size_t run = find_string_delimiter(data, n);
     if (run != 0 && simdutf::validate_utf8(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(data), run))
     {
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index f5887ad73..ef4f9da56 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -8166,18 +8166,24 @@ NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
 #include <cstdint> // uint64_t
 #include <cstring> // memcpy
 
-#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF)
-    // Optional SIMD backend for bulk UTF-8 validation. This is an opt-in
-    // external dependency: nlohmann/json itself stays header-only and the C++11
-    // scalar validator below is always available; defining JSON_USE_SIMDUTF
-    // additionally requires the simdutf headers on the include path and linking
-    // the simdutf library. See string_bulk_run().
-    #include <simdutf.h>
-#endif
-
 // #include <nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp>
 
 
+// Optional SIMD backend for bulk UTF-8 validation. This is an opt-in external
+// dependency: nlohmann/json itself stays header-only and the C++11 scalar
+// validator below is always available; defining JSON_USE_SIMDUTF additionally
+// requires the simdutf headers on the include path and linking the simdutf
+// library. See string_bulk_run().
+//
+// simdutf.h itself requires C++17 - it rejects older standards with an #error -
+// so the backend is only compiled in from C++17 on. Below that the macro has no
+// effect and the scalar validator is used; it accepts and rejects exactly the
+// same input, so only throughput differs. macro_scope.hpp is included above to
+// have JSON_HAS_CPP_17 available for this test.
+#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF) && defined(JSON_HAS_CPP_17)
+    #include <simdutf.h>
+#endif
+
 // This file contains the byte-level string-scanning helpers used by the lexer's
 // contiguous fast path. They operate purely on raw bytes (no dependency on the
 // lexer's template parameters) so they are free functions, keeping the lexer
@@ -8329,7 +8335,7 @@ inline std::size_t scalar_string_bulk_run(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t
     return pos;
 }
 
-#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF)
+#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF) && defined(JSON_HAS_CPP_17)
 // Index of the first quote/escape/control byte in [data, data+n) (non-ASCII
 // bytes are *not* stops here - the whole run is handed to simdutf), or n.
 inline std::size_t find_string_delimiter(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t n) noexcept
@@ -8376,7 +8382,7 @@ inline std::size_t find_string_delimiter(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t
 // produces the precise diagnostic. Without it, the pure scalar path is used.
 inline std::size_t string_bulk_run(const unsigned char* data, std::size_t n) noexcept
 {
-#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF)
+#if defined(JSON_USE_SIMDUTF) && defined(JSON_HAS_CPP_17)
     const std::size_t run = find_string_delimiter(data, n);
     if (run != 0 && simdutf::validate_utf8(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(data), run))
     {