diff --git a/include/fmt/compile.h b/include/fmt/compile.h
index c68c3328..d8967d62 100644
--- a/include/fmt/compile.h
+++ b/include/fmt/compile.h
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ FMT_INLINE std::basic_string<typename S::char_type> format(const S&,
                                                            Args&&... args) {
   constexpr basic_string_view<typename S::char_type> str = S();
   if (str.size() == 2 && str[0] == '{' && str[1] == '}')
-    return fmt::to_string(detail::first(args...));
+    return fmt::to_string<typename S::char_type>(detail::first(args...));
   constexpr auto compiled = detail::compile<Args...>(S());
   return format(compiled, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 }
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index 98c15c64..93c63aba 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -3481,21 +3481,23 @@ arg_join<detail::iterator_t<Range>, detail::sentinel_t<Range>, wchar_t> join(
     std::string answer = fmt::to_string(42);
   \endrst
  */
-template <typename T, FMT_ENABLE_IF(!std::is_integral<T>::value)>
-inline std::string to_string(const T& value) {
-  std::string result;
-  detail::write<char>(std::back_inserter(result), value);
+template <typename Char = char, typename T,
+          FMT_ENABLE_IF(!std::is_integral<T>::value)>
+inline std::basic_string<Char> to_string(const T& value) {
+  std::basic_string<Char> result;
+  detail::write<Char>(std::back_inserter(result), value);
   return result;
 }
 
-template <typename T, FMT_ENABLE_IF(std::is_integral<T>::value)>
-inline std::string to_string(T value) {
+template <typename Char = char, typename T,
+          FMT_ENABLE_IF(std::is_integral<T>::value)>
+inline std::basic_string<Char> to_string(T value) {
   // The buffer should be large enough to store the number including the sign or
   // "false" for bool.
   constexpr int max_size = detail::digits10<T>() + 2;
-  char buffer[max_size > 5 ? max_size : 5];
-  char* begin = buffer;
-  return std::string(begin, detail::write<char>(begin, value));
+  Char buffer[max_size > 5 ? max_size : 5];
+  Char* begin = buffer;
+  return std::basic_string<Char>(begin, detail::write<Char>(begin, value));
 }
 
 /**