diff --git a/src/nfc.cc b/src/nfc.cc
index 3e09c66..6c0821f 100644
--- a/src/nfc.cc
+++ b/src/nfc.cc
@@ -787,6 +787,17 @@ UTF<CharT>::nfc_string UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::substr(std::size_t pos, std::size
 	return nfc_string{s.substr(pos,count)};
 }
 
+
+template<class CharT>
+void UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::normalize()
+{
+	if(isNFC_quick_check(s) != IsNFC::Yes)
+	{
+		s = generate( createNFC( fromUtf_decompose(s) ));
+	}
+}
+
+
 // convenience function to avoid ::strdup(pEp::toNFC<char>(text).c_str());
 // and unecessary temporary std::string etc.
 char* strdup_NFC(std::string_view s)
diff --git a/src/nfc.hh b/src/nfc.hh
index 72c286e..c5774ab 100644
--- a/src/nfc.hh
+++ b/src/nfc.hh
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ public:
 	static
 	void generate(const char32_t c, OutIter& out);
 	
-
 	/// returns whether the sequence starts with IsNFC==Yes char
 	static
 	bool is_safe_NFC_start(std::basic_string_view<CharT> s);
@@ -62,6 +61,7 @@ public:
 	bool isNFC(std::basic_string_view<CharT> s);
 
 	/// returns true if the sequence is valid UTF-8
+	static
 	bool isUtf(const CharT* begin, const CharT* end);
 
 	/// converts a C++ string (in UTF-8/-16) into NFC form