diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8331961..7b00460 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1453,8 +1453,8 @@ Optional Features:
   --disable-libtool-lock  avoid locking (might break parallel builds)
   --enable-debug          build the library in the debug mode (default. no)
   --enable-unicode        Use the unicode character type as the default
-                          character type. one of yes, no, ucs2, ucs4 (default.
-                          yes)
+                          character type. one of yes, no, yes:2, yes:4, no:2,
+                          no:4 (default. yes)
   --enable-cxx            build the library for C++ if a C++ compiler is
                           available (default. yes)
   --enable-dynamic-module enable dynamic module capability(default. yes)
@@ -19423,20 +19423,43 @@ else
 
 fi
 
-if test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes"
+if test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes:4"
 then
 
+$as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 4" >>confdefs.h
+
+
 $as_echo "#define HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
-elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "ucs2"
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes:2"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE 2" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 2" >>confdefs.h
 
-elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "ucs4"
+
+$as_echo "#define HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes"
 then
 
-$as_echo "#define HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE 4" >>confdefs.h
+$as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+
+$as_echo "#define HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "no:4"
+then
+
+$as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 4" >>confdefs.h
+
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "no:2"
+then
+
+$as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 2" >>confdefs.h
+
+else
+
+$as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3e9e69b..f549747 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -409,19 +409,30 @@ else
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([unicode], 
-	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-unicode],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type. one of yes, no, ucs2, ucs4 (default. yes)])],
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-unicode],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type. one of yes, no, yes:2, yes:4, no:2, no:4 (default. yes)])],
 	enable_unicode=$enableval,
 	enable_unicode=yes
 )
-if test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes"
+if test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes:4"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE],[1],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])	
-elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "ucs2"
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[4],[Unicode character type size])
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE],[1],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes:2"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE],[2],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])	
-elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "ucs4"
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[2],[Unicode character type size])
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE],[1],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "yes"
 then
-	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE],[4],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])	
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[1],[Unicode character type size])
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE],[1],[Use the unicode character type as the default character type])
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "no:4"
+then
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[4],[Unicode character type size])
+elif test "${enable_unicode}" = "no:2"
+then
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[2],[Unicode character type size])
+else
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[1],[Unicode character type size])
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([cxx], 
diff --git a/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in b/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in
index 73df31d..cdcb440 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in
+++ b/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in
@@ -327,6 +327,9 @@
 /* sizeof(__uint128_t) */
 #undef HCL_SIZEOF___UINT128_T
 
+/* Unicode character type size */
+#undef HCL_UNICODE_SIZE
+
 /* Define to the sub-directory where libtool stores uninstalled libraries. */
 #undef LT_OBJDIR
 
diff --git a/lib/hcl-cmn.h b/lib/hcl-cmn.h
index 7a5209b..fbda1da 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-cmn.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-cmn.h
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ typedef unsigned char           hcl_bchu_t; /* unsigned version of hcl_bch_t for
 #define HCL_SIZEOF_BCH_T HCL_SIZEOF_CHAR
 #define HCL_SIZEOF_BCI_T HCL_SIZEOF_INT
 
-#if defined(HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE) && (HCL_ENABLE_UNICODE == 4)
+#if defined(HCL_UNICODE_SIZE) && (HCL_UNICODE_SIZE >= 4)
 #	if defined(__GNUC__) && defined(__CHAR32_TYPE__)
 	typedef __CHAR32_TYPE__    hcl_uch_t;
 #	else