diff --git a/examples/AutomatedTest/main.cpp b/examples/AutomatedTest/main.cpp
index 2f807226..6fac6f48 100644
--- a/examples/AutomatedTest/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/AutomatedTest/main.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ using namespace irr;
 static IrrlichtDevice *device = nullptr;
 static int test_fail = 0;
 
-extern void test_irr_array();
+void test_irr_array();
+void test_irr_string();
 
 static video::E_DRIVER_TYPE chooseDriver(const char *arg_)
 {
@@ -32,7 +33,12 @@ static inline void check(bool ok, const char *msg)
 
 void run_unit_tests() {
 	std::cout << "Running unit tests:" << std::endl;
-	test_irr_array();
+	try {
+		test_irr_array();
+		test_irr_string();
+	} catch (const std::exception &e) {
+		test_fail++;
+	}
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -99,7 +105,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	while (device->run())
 	{
-		if (device->getTimer()->getTime() >= 1300)
+		if (device->getTimer()->getTime() >= 1000)
 		{
 			device->getTimer()->setTime(0);
 			++n;
diff --git a/examples/AutomatedTest/test_array.cpp b/examples/AutomatedTest/test_array.cpp
index 5ec55ee9..4c207ffe 100644
--- a/examples/AutomatedTest/test_array.cpp
+++ b/examples/AutomatedTest/test_array.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include "irrArray.h"
+#include <irrArray.h>
 #include "test_helper.h"
 
 using namespace irr;
diff --git a/examples/AutomatedTest/test_string.cpp b/examples/AutomatedTest/test_string.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..adf4d63f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/AutomatedTest/test_string.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+#include <irrString.h>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <clocale>
+#include <vector>
+#include "test_helper.h"
+
+using namespace irr;
+using namespace irr::core;
+
+#define CMPSTR(a, b) (!strcmp(a, b))
+#define UASSERTSTR(actual, expected) UASSERTCMP(CMPSTR, actual.c_str(), expected)
+
+static void test_basics()
+{
+	// ctor
+	stringc s;
+	UASSERTEQ(s.c_str()[0], '\0');
+	s = stringc(0.1234567);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "0.123457");
+	s = stringc(static_cast<int>(-102400));
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "-102400");
+	s = stringc(static_cast<unsigned int>(102400));
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "102400");
+	s = stringc(static_cast<long>(-1024000));
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "-1024000");
+	s = stringc(static_cast<unsigned long>(1024000));
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "1024000");
+	s = stringc("YESno", 3);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "YES");
+	s = stringc("Hello World!");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "Hello World!");
+	// operator=
+	s = stringw(L"abcdef");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "abcdef");
+	s = stringc("test");
+	s = s.c_str();
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "test");
+	s = s.c_str() + 1;
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "est");
+	s = L"abcdef";
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "abcdef");
+	s = static_cast<const char*>(nullptr);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "");
+	// the rest
+	s = "f";
+	UASSERTEQ(s[0], 'f');
+	const auto &sref = s;
+	UASSERTEQ(sref[0], 'f');
+	UASSERT(sref == "f");
+	UASSERT(sref == stringc("f"));
+	s = "a";
+	UASSERT(sref < stringc("aa"));
+	UASSERT(sref < stringc("b"));
+	UASSERT(stringc("Z") < sref);
+	UASSERT(!(sref < stringc("a")));
+	s = "dog";
+	UASSERT(sref != "cat");
+	UASSERT(sref != stringc("cat"));
+}
+
+static void test_methods()
+{
+	stringc s;
+	const auto &sref = s;
+	s = "irrlicht";
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.size(), 8);
+	UASSERT(!sref.empty());
+	s.clear();
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.size(), 0);
+	UASSERT(sref.empty());
+	s = "\tAz#`";
+	s.make_lower();
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "\taz#`");
+	s.make_upper();
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "\tAZ#`");
+	UASSERT(sref.equals_ignore_case("\taz#`"));
+	UASSERT(sref.equals_substring_ignore_case("Z#`", 2));
+	s = "irrlicht";
+	UASSERT(sref.equalsn(stringc("irr"), 3));
+	UASSERT(sref.equalsn("irr", 3));
+	s = "fo";
+	s.append('o');
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "foo");
+	s.append("bar", 1);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "foob");
+	s.append("ar", 999999);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "foobar");
+	s = "nyan";
+	s.append(stringc("cat"));
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "nyancat");
+	s.append(stringc("sam"), 1);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "nyancats");
+	s = "fbar";
+	s.insert(1, "ooXX", 2);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "foobar");
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findFirst('o'), 1);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findFirst('X'), -1);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findFirstChar("abff", 2), 3);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findFirstCharNotInList("fobb", 2), 3);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findLast('o'), 2);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findLast('X'), -1);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findLastChar("abrr", 2), 4);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findLastCharNotInList("rabb", 2), 3);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findNext('o', 2), 2);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.findLast('o', 1), 1);
+	s = "ob-oob";
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.find("ob", 1), 4);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.find("ob"), 0);
+	UASSERTEQ(sref.find("?"), -1);
+	s = "HOMEOWNER";
+	stringc s2 = sref.subString(2, 4);
+	UASSERTSTR(s2, "MEOW");
+	s2 = sref.subString(2, 4, true);
+	UASSERTSTR(s2, "meow");
+	s = "land";
+	s.replace('l', 's');
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "sand");
+	s = ">dog<";
+	s.replace("dog", "cat");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, ">cat<");
+	s.replace("cat", "horse");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, ">horse<");
+	s.replace("horse", "gnu");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, ">gnu<");
+	s = " h e l p ";
+	s.remove(' ');
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "help");
+	s.remove("el");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "hp");
+	s = "irrlicht";
+	s.removeChars("it");
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "rrlch");
+	s = "\r\nfoo bar ";
+	s.trim();
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "foo bar");
+	s = "foxo";
+	s.erase(2);
+	UASSERTSTR(s, "foo");
+	s = "a";
+	s.append('\0');
+	s.append('b');
+	UASSERTEQ(s.size(), 3);
+	s.validate();
+	UASSERTEQ(s.size(), 1);
+	UASSERTEQ(s.lastChar(), 'a');
+	std::vector<stringc> res;
+	s = "a,,b,c";
+	s.split(res, ",aa", 1, true, false);
+	UASSERTEQ(res.size(), 3);
+	UASSERTSTR(res[0], "a");
+	UASSERTSTR(res[2], "c");
+	res.clear();
+	s.split(res, ",", 1, false, true);
+	UASSERTEQ(res.size(), 7);
+	UASSERTSTR(res[0], "a");
+	UASSERTSTR(res[2], "");
+	for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
+		UASSERTSTR(res[2*i+1], ",");
+}
+
+static void test_conv()
+{
+	// assumes Unicode and UTF-8 locale
+	setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
+
+	stringw out;
+	multibyteToWString(out, "†††");
+	UASSERTEQ(out.size(), 3);
+	for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
+		UASSERTEQ(static_cast<u16>(out[i]), 0x2020);
+	stringc out2;
+	wStringToMultibyte(out2, L"†††");
+	UASSERTEQ(out2.size(), 9);
+	for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+		UASSERTEQ(static_cast<u8>(out2[3*i]), 0xe2);
+		UASSERTEQ(static_cast<u8>(out2[3*i+1]), 0x80);
+		UASSERTEQ(static_cast<u8>(out2[3*i+2]), 0xa0);
+	}
+}
+
+void test_irr_string()
+{
+	test_basics();
+	test_methods();
+	test_conv();
+	std::cout << "    test_irr_string PASSED" << std::endl;
+}