diff --git a/inc/smjni/java_string.h b/inc/smjni/java_string.h
index fccba6d..4e9b177 100644
--- a/inc/smjni/java_string.h
+++ b/inc/smjni/java_string.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ namespace smjni
         return jattach(env, ret);
     } 
         
+    local_java_ref<jstring> java_string_create(JNIEnv * env, const char * str, size_t size);
     local_java_ref<jstring> java_string_create(JNIEnv * env, const char * str);
     local_java_ref<jstring> java_string_create(JNIEnv * env, const std::string & str);
         
diff --git a/src/java_string.cpp b/src/java_string.cpp
index 1e74a00..3bc4564 100644
--- a/src/java_string.cpp
+++ b/src/java_string.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ using namespace smjni;
 static thread_local std::vector<jchar> g_utf16_buffer;
 static constexpr size_t g_max_buffer_size = 64 * 1024;
 
-static local_java_ref<jstring> java_string_create(JNIEnv * env, const char * str, size_t size)
+local_java_ref<jstring> smjni::java_string_create(JNIEnv * env, const char * str, size_t size)
 {
     g_utf16_buffer.clear();
     utf8_to_utf16(str, str + size, std::back_inserter(g_utf16_buffer));
diff --git a/tests/src/cpp/string_tests.cpp b/tests/src/cpp/string_tests.cpp
index ebc9683..01dfb65 100644
--- a/tests/src/cpp/string_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/cpp/string_tests.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ TEST_CASE( "testString" )
     auto str3 = java_string_create(env, std::string("hello"));
     CHECK(5 == java_string_get_length(env, str3));
     CHECK("hello" == java_string_to_cpp(env, str3));
+    auto str4 = java_string_create(env, "hello world", 5);
+    CHECK(5 == java_string_get_length(env, str4));
+    CHECK("hello" == java_string_to_cpp(env, str4));
 
     auto empty = java_string_create(env, nullptr);
     CHECK(0 == java_string_get_length(env, empty));