diff --git a/configure.in.in b/configure.in.in
index a8a562f95..dde7bce7c 100644
--- a/configure.in.in
+++ b/configure.in.in
@@ -106,9 +106,19 @@ OFF_T_FLAGS="-define:OFF_T_$ac_cv_sizeof_off_t"
 AC_SUBST(OFF_T_FLAGS)
 
 MONO_REQUIRED_VERSION=1.0
+FIRST_MONO_VERSION_WITH_NET_4_6_SUPPORT=4.4
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO_DEPENDENCY, mono >= $MONO_REQUIRED_VERSION, has_mono=true, has_mono=false)
 if test "x$has_mono" = "xfalse" ; then
 	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO_DEPENDENCY, mono-2 >= $MONO_REQUIRED_VERSION, has_mono=true, has_mono=false)
+	if test "x$has_mono" = "xtrue" ; then
+		PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO_DEPENDENCY, mono-2 >= $FIRST_MONO_VERSION_WITH_NET_4_6_SUPPORT, NET_4_6_SUPPORT=true, NET_4_6_SUPPORT=false)
+	fi
+else
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO_DEPENDENCY, mono >= $FIRST_MONO_VERSION_WITH_NET_4_6_SUPPORT, NET_4_6_SUPPORT=true, NET_4_6_SUPPORT=false)
+fi
+
+if test "x$platform_win32" = "xyes"; then
+	NET_4_6_SUPPORT=true
 fi
 
 AC_PATH_PROG(GACUTIL, gacutil, no)
@@ -224,6 +234,9 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MONOGETOPTIONS, test "x$has_mono" = "xtrue")
 
 CSFLAGS="$DEBUG_FLAGS $CSDEFINES $WIN64DEFINES -unsafe"
 
+if test "x$NET_4_6_SUPPORT" = "xtrue" ; then
+  CSFLAGS="$CSFLAGS -define:HAVE_NET_4_6"
+fi
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GLIB_2_31,
   glib-2.0 >= 2.31,
   HAVE_GLIB_2_31_OR_HIGHER=yes, HAVE_GLIB_2_31_OR_HIGHER=no)
diff --git a/glib/Marshaller.cs b/glib/Marshaller.cs
index d20b9c186..c18c3ba55 100644
--- a/glib/Marshaller.cs
+++ b/glib/Marshaller.cs
@@ -78,29 +78,23 @@ public static string FilenamePtrToStringGFree (IntPtr ptr)
 
 		[DllImport("glibsharpglue-2", CallingConvention=CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
 		static extern UIntPtr glibsharp_strlen (IntPtr mem);
-
-		static string Utf8PtrToStringFast (IntPtr ptr, int len)
-		{
-			unsafe
-			{
-				var p = (byte*)ptr;
-				return System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString (p, len);
-			}
-		}
-
-		static bool hasFastGetStringOverload = typeof (System.Text.Encoding).GetMethod ("GetString", new [] { typeof (byte*), typeof (int) }) != null;
 		public static string Utf8PtrToString (IntPtr ptr) 
 		{
 			if (ptr == IntPtr.Zero)
 				return null;
 
 			int len = (int) (uint)glibsharp_strlen (ptr);
-			if (hasFastGetStringOverload)
-				return Utf8PtrToStringFast (ptr, len);
-
+#if HAVE_NET_4_6
+			unsafe
+			{
+				var p = (byte*)ptr;
+				return System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString (p, len);
+			}
+#else
 			byte [] bytes = new byte [len];
 			Marshal.Copy (ptr, bytes, 0, len);
 			return System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString (bytes);
+#endif
 		}
 
 		public static string[] Utf8PtrToString (IntPtr[] ptrs) {