diff --git a/docs/generated/changelog.html b/docs/generated/changelog.html
index 84aa5df4b..079b7ccdd 100644
--- a/docs/generated/changelog.html
+++ b/docs/generated/changelog.html
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
     <h1>Agent-JS Changelog</h1>
 
     <section>
+      <h2>Version 0.12.1</h2>
+      <ul>
+        <li>Adds UTF-8 as an encoding option for CanisterStatus custom paths</li>
+      </ul>
       <h2>Version 0.12.0</h2>
       <ul>
         <li>
diff --git a/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap b/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
index 098eeaeb6..745b0263b 100644
--- a/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
@@ -60,9 +60,17 @@ exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 1`] = `165299
 
 exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 2`] = `ArrayBuffer []`;
 
-exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 3`] = `"80f485e1a4a6a7f816"`;
+exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 3`] = `
+"type Example = text;
+service : {
+  greet: (Example) -> (text) query;
+}
+"
+`;
+
+exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 4`] = `"80f485e1a4a6a7f816"`;
 
-exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 4`] = `
+exports[`Canister Status utility should support valid custom paths 5`] = `
 Array [
   Uint8Array [
     4,
diff --git a/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.test.ts b/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.test.ts
index 3994cf2b0..b10528c59 100644
--- a/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.test.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ describe('Canister Status utility', () => {
         decodeStrategy: 'raw',
       },
     ]);
+    const statusUTF8 = await getStatus([
+      {
+        kind: 'metadata',
+        path: 'candid:service',
+        key: 'candid',
+        decodeStrategy: 'utf-8',
+      },
+    ]);
     const statusHex = await getStatus([
       {
         key: 'time',
@@ -129,6 +137,7 @@ describe('Canister Status utility', () => {
     ]);
     expect(status.get('time')).toMatchSnapshot();
     expect(statusRaw.get('time')).toMatchSnapshot();
+    expect(statusUTF8.get('candid')).toMatchSnapshot();
     expect(statusHex.get('time')).toMatchSnapshot();
     expect(statusCBOR.get('Controller')).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
diff --git a/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.ts b/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.ts
index 0f321b75b..5034d53cc 100644
--- a/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.ts
+++ b/packages/agent/src/canisterStatus/index.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ export type Status = string | ArrayBuffer | Date | ArrayBuffer[] | Principal[] |
  */
 export interface CustomPath {
   key: string;
-  path: ArrayBuffer[];
-  decodeStrategy: 'cbor' | 'hex' | 'leb128' | 'raw';
+  path: ArrayBuffer[] | string;
+  decodeStrategy: 'cbor' | 'hex' | 'leb128' | 'utf-8' | 'raw';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export interface MetaData {
   kind: 'metadata';
   key: string;
   path: string | ArrayBuffer;
-  decodeStrategy: 'cbor' | 'hex' | 'leb128' | 'raw';
+  decodeStrategy: 'cbor' | 'hex' | 'leb128' | 'utf-8' | 'raw';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ export const request = async (options: {
                     status.set(path.key, decodeHex(data));
                     break;
                   }
+                  case 'utf-8': {
+                    status.set(path.key, decodeUtf8(data));
+                  }
                 }
               }
             }
@@ -214,6 +217,10 @@ const decodeCbor = (buf: ArrayBuffer): ArrayBuffer[] => {
   return Cbor.decode(buf);
 };
 
+const decodeUtf8 = (buf: ArrayBuffer): string => {
+  return new TextDecoder().decode(buf);
+};
+
 // time is a LEB128-encoded Nat
 const decodeTime = (buf: ArrayBuffer): Date => {
   const decoded = decodeLeb128(buf);