diff --git a/paths.go b/paths.go
index 1006516..b8b18c9 100644
--- a/paths.go
+++ b/paths.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 package paths
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+	"unicode/utf8"
 )
 
 // Path represents a path
@@ -60,6 +62,24 @@ func New(path ...string) *Path {
 	return res
 }
 
+// SafeNew behaves as New except if the provided path is not
+// a valid UTF8 string: in that case an error is returned.
+func SafeNew(paths ...string) (*Path, error) {
+	if err := pathIsSafe(paths...); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return New(paths...), nil
+}
+
+func pathIsSafe(paths ...string) error {
+	for _, path := range paths {
+		if !utf8.ValidString(path) {
+			return errors.New("invalid utf8 encoding in path")
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // NewFromFile creates a new Path object using the path name
 // obtained from the File object (see os.File.Name function).
 func NewFromFile(file *os.File) *Path {
@@ -83,6 +103,15 @@ func (p *Path) Join(paths ...string) *Path {
 	return New(filepath.Join(p.path, filepath.Join(paths...)))
 }
 
+// SafeJoin behaves as Join except if the provided path is not
+// a valid UTF8 string: in that case an error is returned.
+func (p *Path) SafeJoin(paths ...string) (*Path, error) {
+	if err := pathIsSafe(paths...); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return p.Join(paths...), nil
+}
+
 // JoinPath create a new Path by joining the provided paths
 func (p *Path) JoinPath(paths ...*Path) *Path {
 	res := p.Clone()
diff --git a/paths_test.go b/paths_test.go
index 7fcf963..fd06111 100644
--- a/paths_test.go
+++ b/paths_test.go
@@ -50,6 +50,36 @@ func TestPathNew(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Nil(t, test4)
 }
 
+func TestPathSafetyFeatures(t *testing.T) {
+	test1, err1 := SafeNew("path")
+	require.Equal(t, "path", test1.String())
+	require.NoError(t, err1)
+
+	test2, err2 := SafeNew("path", "path")
+	require.Equal(t, filepath.Join("path", "path"), test2.String())
+	require.NoError(t, err2)
+
+	test3, err3 := SafeNew("path" + string([]byte{0xC0, 0xAF}) + "path")
+	require.Nil(t, test3)
+	require.Error(t, err3)
+
+	test4, err4 := SafeNew("path", "path"+string([]byte{0xC0, 0xAF})+"path")
+	require.Nil(t, test4)
+	require.Error(t, err4)
+
+	test5, err5 := test1.SafeJoin("path")
+	require.Equal(t, filepath.Join("path", "path"), test5.String())
+	require.NoError(t, err5)
+
+	test6, err6 := test1.SafeJoin("path" + string([]byte{0xC0, 0xAF}) + "path")
+	require.Nil(t, test6)
+	require.Error(t, err6)
+
+	test7, err7 := test1.SafeJoin("path", "path"+string([]byte{0xC0, 0xAF})+"path")
+	require.Nil(t, test7)
+	require.Error(t, err7)
+}
+
 func TestPath(t *testing.T) {
 	testPath := New("_testdata")
 	require.Equal(t, "_testdata", testPath.String())