diff --git a/include/fmt/base.h b/include/fmt/base.h
index 5c63948b..fb905183 100644
--- a/include/fmt/base.h
+++ b/include/fmt/base.h
@@ -301,6 +301,8 @@ template <typename T> struct type_identity {
 };
 template <typename T> using type_identity_t = typename type_identity<T>::type;
 template <typename T>
+using make_unsigned_t = typename std::make_unsigned<T>::type;
+template <typename T>
 using underlying_t = typename std::underlying_type<T>::type;
 
 #if FMT_GCC_VERSION && FMT_GCC_VERSION < 500
@@ -399,10 +401,9 @@ template <typename T> auto convert_for_visit(T) -> monostate { return {}; }
 
 // Casts a nonnegative integer to unsigned.
 template <typename Int>
-FMT_CONSTEXPR auto to_unsigned(Int value) ->
-    typename std::make_unsigned<Int>::type {
+FMT_CONSTEXPR auto to_unsigned(Int value) -> make_unsigned_t<Int> {
   FMT_ASSERT(std::is_unsigned<Int>::value || value >= 0, "negative value");
-  return static_cast<typename std::make_unsigned<Int>::type>(value);
+  return static_cast<make_unsigned_t<Int>>(value);
 }
 
 // A heuristic to detect std::string and std::[experimental::]string_view.
@@ -2029,27 +2030,52 @@ using sign_t = sign::type;
 
 namespace detail {
 
-// Workaround an array initialization issue in gcc 4.8.
-template <typename Char> struct fill_t {
+template <typename Char>
+using unsigned_char = typename conditional_t<std::is_integral<Char>::value,
+                                             std::make_unsigned<Char>,
+                                             type_identity<unsigned>>::type;
+
+struct fill_t {
  private:
   enum { max_size = 4 };
-  Char data_[max_size] = {Char(' '), Char(0), Char(0), Char(0)};
+  char data_[max_size] = {' '};
   unsigned char size_ = 1;
 
  public:
+  template <typename Char>
   FMT_CONSTEXPR void operator=(basic_string_view<Char> s) {
     auto size = s.size();
-    FMT_ASSERT(size <= max_size, "invalid fill");
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < size; ++i) data_[i] = s[i];
     size_ = static_cast<unsigned char>(size);
+    if (size == 1) {
+      unsigned uchar = static_cast<unsigned_char<Char>>(s[0]);
+      data_[0] = static_cast<char>(uchar);
+      data_[1] = static_cast<char>(uchar >> 8);
+      return;
+    }
+    FMT_ASSERT(size <= max_size, "invalid fill");
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < size; ++i) data_[i] = static_cast<char>(s[i]);
+  }
+
+  FMT_CONSTEXPR void operator=(char c) {
+    data_[0] = c;
+    size_ = 1;
   }
 
   constexpr auto size() const -> size_t { return size_; }
-  constexpr auto data() const -> const Char* { return data_; }
 
-  FMT_CONSTEXPR auto operator[](size_t index) -> Char& { return data_[index]; }
-  FMT_CONSTEXPR auto operator[](size_t index) const -> const Char& {
-    return data_[index];
+  template <typename Char> constexpr auto get() const -> Char {
+    using uchar = unsigned char;
+    return static_cast<Char>(static_cast<uchar>(data_[0]) |
+                             (static_cast<uchar>(data_[1]) << 8));
+  }
+
+  template <typename Char, FMT_ENABLE_IF(std::is_same<Char, char>::value)>
+  constexpr auto data() const -> const Char* {
+    return data_;
+  }
+  template <typename Char, FMT_ENABLE_IF(!std::is_same<Char, char>::value)>
+  constexpr auto data() const -> const Char* {
+    return nullptr;
   }
 };
 }  // namespace detail
@@ -2087,7 +2113,7 @@ template <typename Char = char> struct format_specs {
   bool upper : 1;  // An uppercase version e.g. 'X' for 'x'.
   bool alt : 1;    // Alternate form ('#').
   bool localized : 1;
-  detail::fill_t<Char> fill;
+  detail::fill_t fill;
 
   constexpr format_specs()
       : width(0),
@@ -2389,7 +2415,7 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_format_specs(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
       if (specs.align == align::none) {
         // Ignore 0 if align is specified for compatibility with std::format.
         specs.align = align::numeric;
-        specs.fill[0] = Char('0');
+        specs.fill = '0';
       }
       ++begin;
       break;
@@ -2480,7 +2506,8 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_format_specs(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
       }
       auto align = parse_align(to_ascii(*fill_end));
       enter_state(state::align, align != align::none);
-      specs.fill = {begin, to_unsigned(fill_end - begin)};
+      specs.fill =
+          basic_string_view<Char>(begin, to_unsigned(fill_end - begin));
       specs.align = align;
       begin = fill_end + 1;
     }
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index 12f5ba09..e17a3b93 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -1711,13 +1711,14 @@ constexpr auto convert_float(T value) -> convert_float_result<T> {
   return static_cast<convert_float_result<T>>(value);
 }
 
-template <typename OutputIt, typename Char>
-FMT_NOINLINE FMT_CONSTEXPR auto fill(OutputIt it, size_t n,
-                                     const fill_t<Char>& fill) -> OutputIt {
+template <typename Char, typename OutputIt>
+FMT_NOINLINE FMT_CONSTEXPR auto fill(OutputIt it, size_t n, const fill_t& fill)
+    -> OutputIt {
   auto fill_size = fill.size();
-  if (fill_size == 1) return detail::fill_n(it, n, fill[0]);
-  auto data = fill.data();
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < n; ++i) it = copy<Char>(data, data + fill_size, it);
+  if (fill_size == 1) return detail::fill_n(it, n, fill.template get<Char>());
+  if (const Char* data = fill.template data<Char>()) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < n; ++i) it = copy<Char>(data, data + fill_size, it);
+  }
   return it;
 }
 
@@ -1737,9 +1738,9 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR auto write_padded(OutputIt out, const format_specs<Char>& specs,
   size_t left_padding = padding >> shifts[specs.align];
   size_t right_padding = padding - left_padding;
   auto it = reserve(out, size + padding * specs.fill.size());
-  if (left_padding != 0) it = fill(it, left_padding, specs.fill);
+  if (left_padding != 0) it = fill<Char>(it, left_padding, specs.fill);
   it = f(it);
-  if (right_padding != 0) it = fill(it, right_padding, specs.fill);
+  if (right_padding != 0) it = fill<Char>(it, right_padding, specs.fill);
   return base_iterator(out, it);
 }
 
@@ -1788,17 +1789,11 @@ template <typename Char> struct find_escape_result {
   uint32_t cp;
 };
 
-template <typename Char>
-using make_unsigned_char =
-    typename conditional_t<std::is_integral<Char>::value,
-                           std::make_unsigned<Char>,
-                           type_identity<uint32_t>>::type;
-
 template <typename Char>
 auto find_escape(const Char* begin, const Char* end)
     -> find_escape_result<Char> {
   for (; begin != end; ++begin) {
-    uint32_t cp = static_cast<make_unsigned_char<Char>>(*begin);
+    uint32_t cp = static_cast<unsigned_char<Char>>(*begin);
     if (const_check(sizeof(Char) == 1) && cp >= 0x80) continue;
     if (needs_escape(cp)) return {begin, begin + 1, cp};
   }
@@ -2385,7 +2380,7 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR auto parse_align(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
           report_error("invalid fill character '{'");
           return begin;
         }
-        specs.fill = {begin, to_unsigned(p - begin)};
+        specs.fill = basic_string_view<Char>(begin, to_unsigned(p - begin));
         begin = p + 1;
       } else {
         ++begin;
@@ -2464,8 +2459,8 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR20 auto write_nonfinite(OutputIt out, bool isnan,
   auto size = str_size + (sign ? 1 : 0);
   // Replace '0'-padding with space for non-finite values.
   const bool is_zero_fill =
-      specs.fill.size() == 1 && *specs.fill.data() == static_cast<Char>('0');
-  if (is_zero_fill) specs.fill[0] = static_cast<Char>(' ');
+      specs.fill.size() == 1 && specs.fill.template get<Char>() == '0';
+  if (is_zero_fill) specs.fill = ' ';
   return write_padded(out, specs, size, [=](reserve_iterator<OutputIt> it) {
     if (sign) *it++ = detail::sign<Char>(sign);
     return copy<Char>(str, str + str_size, it);
@@ -4163,7 +4158,7 @@ template <typename T> struct formatter<nested_view<T>> {
 template <typename T> struct nested_formatter {
  private:
   int width_;
-  detail::fill_t<char> fill_;
+  detail::fill_t fill_;
   align_t align_ : 4;
   formatter<T> formatter_;
 
diff --git a/include/fmt/printf.h b/include/fmt/printf.h
index 30f41404..aca56ebb 100644
--- a/include/fmt/printf.h
+++ b/include/fmt/printf.h
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class printf_arg_formatter : public arg_formatter<Char> {
     }
     fmt_specs.sign = sign::none;
     fmt_specs.alt = false;
-    fmt_specs.fill[0] = ' ';  // Ignore '0' flag for char types.
+    fmt_specs.fill = ' ';  // Ignore '0' flag for char types.
     // align::numeric needs to be overwritten here since the '0' flag is
     // ignored for non-numeric types
     if (fmt_specs.align == align::none || fmt_specs.align == align::numeric)
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ void parse_flags(format_specs<Char>& specs, const Char*& it, const Char* end) {
       specs.sign = sign::plus;
       break;
     case '0':
-      specs.fill[0] = '0';
+      specs.fill = '0';
       break;
     case ' ':
       if (specs.sign != sign::plus) specs.sign = sign::space;
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ auto parse_header(const Char*& it, const Char* end, format_specs<Char>& specs,
       ++it;
       arg_index = value != -1 ? value : max_value<int>();
     } else {
-      if (c == '0') specs.fill[0] = '0';
+      if (c == '0') specs.fill = '0';
       if (value != 0) {
         // Nonzero value means that we parsed width and don't need to
         // parse it or flags again, so return now.
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ void vprintf(buffer<Char>& buf, basic_string_view<Char> format,
     // specified, the '0' flag is ignored
     if (specs.precision >= 0 && arg.is_integral()) {
       // Ignore '0' for non-numeric types or if '-' present.
-      specs.fill[0] = ' ';
+      specs.fill = ' ';
     }
     if (specs.precision >= 0 && arg.type() == type::cstring_type) {
       auto str = arg.visit(get_cstring<Char>());
@@ -488,12 +488,12 @@ void vprintf(buffer<Char>& buf, basic_string_view<Char> format,
       arg = make_arg<basic_printf_context<Char>>(sv);
     }
     if (specs.alt && arg.visit(is_zero_int())) specs.alt = false;
-    if (specs.fill[0] == '0') {
+    if (specs.fill.template get<Char>() == '0') {
       if (arg.is_arithmetic() && specs.align != align::left)
         specs.align = align::numeric;
       else
-        specs.fill[0] = ' ';  // Ignore '0' flag for non-numeric types or if '-'
-                              // flag is also present.
+        specs.fill = ' ';  // Ignore '0' flag for non-numeric types or if '-'
+                           // flag is also present.
     }
 
     // Parse length and convert the argument to the required type.
diff --git a/test/base-test.cc b/test/base-test.cc
index 98d5b6e0..f7365637 100644
--- a/test/base-test.cc
+++ b/test/base-test.cc
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ template <size_t N> constexpr auto parse_test_specs(const char (&s)[N]) {
 
 TEST(core_test, constexpr_parse_format_specs) {
   static_assert(parse_test_specs("<").align == fmt::align::left, "");
-  static_assert(parse_test_specs("*^").fill[0] == '*', "");
+  static_assert(parse_test_specs("*^").fill.get<char>() == '*', "");
   static_assert(parse_test_specs("+").sign == fmt::sign::plus, "");
   static_assert(parse_test_specs("-").sign == fmt::sign::minus, "");
   static_assert(parse_test_specs(" ").sign == fmt::sign::space, "");