diff --git a/Directory.Build.props b/Directory.Build.props
index 32b44f4..d9998fd 100644
--- a/Directory.Build.props
+++ b/Directory.Build.props
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     <EnableTrimAnalyzer>true</EnableTrimAnalyzer>
     <RestoreConfigFile>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)NuGet.config</RestoreConfigFile>
 
-    <VersionPrefix>1.9.5</VersionPrefix>
+    <VersionPrefix>1.9.6</VersionPrefix>
     <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' == ''"></VersionSuffix>
     
     <GenerateDocumentationFile>true</GenerateDocumentationFile>
diff --git a/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/Apis.cs b/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/Apis.cs
index 6fb0329..dd3bf32 100644
--- a/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/Apis.cs
+++ b/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/Apis.cs
@@ -12,23 +12,69 @@ public static unsafe partial class Apis
 {
     public static ID3DInclude* D3D_COMPILE_STANDARD_FILE_INCLUDE => (ID3DInclude*)(nuint)1;
 
+    public static ComPtr<ID3DBlob> D3DCompile(
+        string source,
+        string entryPoint,
+        string target,
+        CompileFlags flags = CompileFlags.None)
+    {
+        byte[] sourceUtf8 = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(source);
+        byte[] entryPointUtf8 = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(entryPoint);
+        byte[] targetUtf8 = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(target);
+
+        using ComPtr<ID3DBlob> d3dBlobBytecode = default;
+        using ComPtr<ID3DBlob> d3dBlobErrors = default;
+
+        fixed (byte* sourcePtr = sourceUtf8)
+        fixed (byte* entryPointPtr = entryPointUtf8)
+        fixed (byte* targetPtr = targetUtf8)
+        {
+            HResult hr = D3DCompile(
+                pSrcData: sourcePtr,
+                SrcDataSize: (nuint)sourceUtf8.Length,
+                pSourceName: null,
+                pDefines: null,
+                pInclude: D3D_COMPILE_STANDARD_FILE_INCLUDE,
+                pEntrypoint: (sbyte*)entryPointPtr,
+                pTarget: (sbyte*)targetPtr,
+                Flags1: flags,
+                Flags2: 0u,
+                ppCode: d3dBlobBytecode.GetAddressOf(),
+                ppErrorMsgs: d3dBlobErrors.GetAddressOf()
+                );
+
+            if (hr.Failure)
+            {
+                // Throw if an error was retrieved, then also double check the HRESULT
+                if (d3dBlobErrors.Get() is not null)
+                {
+                    ThrowHslsCompilationException(d3dBlobErrors.Get());
+                }
+            }
+
+            ThrowIfFailed(hr);
+
+            return d3dBlobBytecode.Move();
+        }
+    }
+
     public static ComPtr<ID3DBlob> D3DCompile(
         ReadOnlySpan<char> source,
         ReadOnlySpan<char> entryPoint,
         ReadOnlySpan<char> target,
         CompileFlags flags = CompileFlags.None)
     {
-        int maxLength = Encoding.ASCII.GetMaxByteCount(source.Length);
+        int maxLength = Encoding.UTF8.GetMaxByteCount(source.Length);
         byte[] sourceBuffer = ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Rent(maxLength);
-        int writtenBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(source, sourceBuffer);
+        int writtenBytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(source, sourceBuffer);
 
-        maxLength = Encoding.ASCII.GetMaxByteCount(entryPoint.Length);
+        maxLength = Encoding.UTF8.GetMaxByteCount(entryPoint.Length);
         byte[] entryPointBuffer = ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Rent(maxLength);
-        int entryPointWrittenBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(entryPoint, entryPointBuffer);
+        int entryPointWrittenBytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(entryPoint, entryPointBuffer);
 
-        maxLength = Encoding.ASCII.GetMaxByteCount(target.Length);
+        maxLength = Encoding.UTF8.GetMaxByteCount(target.Length);
         byte[] targetBuffer = ArrayPool<byte>.Shared.Rent(maxLength);
-        int targetWrittenBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(target, targetBuffer);
+        int targetWrittenBytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(target, targetBuffer);
 
         try
         {
diff --git a/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/FxcCompilationException.cs b/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/FxcCompilationException.cs
index da36e19..c7237ae 100644
--- a/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/FxcCompilationException.cs
+++ b/src/Vortice.Win32.Graphics.Direct3D.Fxc/FxcCompilationException.cs
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ public sealed class FxcCompilationException : Exception
         builder.AppendLine("The FXC compiler encountered one or more errors while trying to compile the shader:");
         builder.AppendLine();
         builder.AppendLine(error.Trim());
-        builder.AppendLine();
-        builder.AppendLine("Make sure to only be using supported features by checking the README file in the ComputeSharp repository: https://github.com/Sergio0694/ComputeSharp.");
-        builder.Append("If you're sure that your C# shader code is valid, please open an issue an include a working repro and this error message.");
 
         return builder.ToString();
     }