diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml b/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml
index b9c209f8b..d36be307c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-full.yaml
@@ -12,31 +12,44 @@ jobs:
   R-CMD-check:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.config.os }}
 
-    name: ${{ matrix.config.os }} (${{ matrix.config.r }})
+    name: ${{ matrix.config.os }} (${{ matrix.config.r }}) ${{ matrix.config.locale }}
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         config:
-          - {os: macos-latest,   r: 'release'}
+          - { os: macos-latest, r: "release" }
 
-          - {os: windows-latest, r: 'devel'}
-          - {os: windows-latest, r: 'release'}
+          - { os: windows-latest, r: "devel" }
+          - { os: windows-latest, r: "release" }
           # use 4.1 to check with rtools40's older compiler
-          - {os: windows-latest, r: '4.1'}
+          - { os: windows-latest, r: "4.1" }
 
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,   r: 'devel', http-user-agent: 'release'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,   r: 'release'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,   r: 'oldrel-1'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,   r: 'oldrel-2'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,   r: 'oldrel-3'}
-          - {os: ubuntu-latest,   r: 'oldrel-4'}
+          - { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "devel", http-user-agent: "release" }
+          - { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "devel", locale: "en_US" }
+          #- { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "release", locale: "zh_CN" }
+          - { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "oldrel-1" }
+          - { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "oldrel-2" }
+          - { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "oldrel-3" }
+          - { os: ubuntu-latest, r: "oldrel-4" }
 
     env:
       GITHUB_PAT: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       R_KEEP_PKG_SOURCE: yes
 
     steps:
+      - name: Set 'en_US' locale
+        if: matrix.config.locale == 'en_US'
+        run: |
+          sudo locale-gen en_US
+          echo "LC_ALL=en_US" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Set 'zh_CN' locale
+        if: matrix.config.locale == 'zh_CN'
+        run: |
+          sudo locale-gen zh_CN
+          echo "LC_ALL=zh_CN" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - uses: r-lib/actions/setup-pandoc@v2
@@ -49,6 +62,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r-dependencies@v2
         with:
+          pak-version: devel
+          upgrade: "TRUE"
           extra-packages: any::rcmdcheck
           needs: check
 
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e0d2606ed..b9b86f2c7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 .Rhistory
 .Rproj.user
 .gitsum
+.vscode
 Meta
 R/scratch
 README.html
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-parsing.R b/tests/testthat/test-parsing.R
index 18876da8e..6f37f806e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-parsing.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-parsing.R
@@ -36,10 +36,17 @@ test_that("mixed CRLF / LF EOLs fail", {
   )
 })
 
-test_that("unicode can't be propprely handled on Windows for R < 4.2", {
-  msg <- ifelse(getRversion() < "4.2" && is_windows(),
-    "Can't parse input due to unicode restriction in base R\\.",
-    NA
+test_that("unicode can't be properly handled on Windows for R < 4.2", {
+  skip_if_not(getRversion() < "4.2" && is_windows())
+
+  expect_error(
+    style_text('suit <- "♠"'),
+    "Can't parse input due to unicode restriction in base R\\."
   )
-  expect_error(style_text('suit <- "♠"'), msg)
+})
+
+test_that("unicode is properly handled in all settings other than on Windows for R < 4.2", {
+  skip_if(getRversion() < "4.2" && is_windows())
+
+  expect_error(style_text('suit <- "♠"'), NA)
 })