diff --git a/src/nfc.cc b/src/nfc.cc
index 61f2925..5a04436 100644
--- a/src/nfc.cc
+++ b/src/nfc.cc
@@ -684,10 +684,32 @@ size_t UTF<char16_t>::utf_length(std::u32string_view s)
 
 
 template<class CharT>
-UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::nfc_string(std::basic_string_view<CharT> src)
+UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::nfc_string(StringView src)
 : s{ UTF<CharT>::toNFC(src) }
 {}
 
+template<class CharT>
+UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::nfc_string(String&& src)
+: s{ isNFC_quick_check(src)==IsNFC::Yes ? std::move(src) : toNFC(src) }
+{}
+
+
+template<class CharT>
+typename
+UTF<CharT>::nfc_string& UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::assign(StringView src)
+{
+	s = toNFC(src);
+	return *this;
+}
+
+template<class CharT>
+typename
+UTF<CharT>::nfc_string& UTF<CharT>::nfc_string::assign(String&& src)
+{
+	s = (isNFC_quick_check(src)==IsNFC::Yes) ? std::move(src) : toNFC(src);
+	return *this;
+}
+
 
 // convenience function to avoid ::strdup(pEp::toNFC<char>(text).c_str());
 // and unecessary temporary std::string etc.
diff --git a/src/nfc.hh b/src/nfc.hh
index f52fb2a..93cfece 100644
--- a/src/nfc.hh
+++ b/src/nfc.hh
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ public:
 	class nfc_string
 	{
 	public:
-		typedef std::basic_string<CharT> String;
+		typedef std::basic_string<CharT>      String;
+		typedef std::basic_string_view<CharT> StringView;
 		
 		/// only const_reference is supported.
 		typedef typename String::const_reference const_reference;
@@ -92,13 +93,17 @@ public:
 		typedef typename String::const_iterator  const_iterator;
 		
 		
-		explicit nfc_string(std::basic_string_view<CharT>   src);
-		explicit nfc_string(std::basic_string     <CharT>&& src);
+		explicit nfc_string(StringView  src);
+		explicit nfc_string(String &&   src);
 		
 		/// construct from a NUL-terminated src
-		explicit nfc_string(const CharT* src);
+		explicit nfc_string(const CharT* src)
+		: nfc_string{ StringView{src} }
+		{}
 		
-		nfc_string(const CharT* src, size_t length);
+		nfc_string(const CharT* src, size_t length)
+		: nfc_string{ StringView{src, length} }
+		{}
 		
 		nfc_string(const nfc_string&  src) = default;
 		nfc_string(      nfc_string&& src) = default;
@@ -106,8 +111,8 @@ public:
 		nfc_string& operator=(const nfc_string&  src) = default;
 		nfc_string& operator=(      nfc_string&& src) = default;
 		
-		nfc_string& assign(String&& src);
-		nfc_string& assign(std::basic_string_view<CharT> src);
+		nfc_string& assign(StringView src);
+		nfc_string& assign(String &&  src);
 		
 		
 		/// read-only: shares representation
@@ -121,6 +126,11 @@ public:
 		std::size_t  size()  const noexcept { return s.size();  }
 		bool         empty() const noexcept { return s.empty(); }
 		
+		const_iterator  begin() const noexcept { return s.cbegin(); }
+		const_iterator cbegin() const noexcept { return s.cbegin(); }  /// r/o access only
+		const_iterator  end()   const noexcept { return s.cend(); }
+		const_iterator cend()   const noexcept { return s.cend(); }    /// r/o access only
+		
 	private:
 		std::basic_string<CharT> s;
 	};