diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index f87dadae63..af91b49773 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ parameter and result types, not just their source-level shape. Use
 - `std/re` and `std/nre` are deprecated as PCRE library is obsolete.
   Use https://github.com/nitely/nim-regex or `std/nre2`.
   See: https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/issues/23668.
+- `std/pegs` now correctly lexes UTF-8 bytes inside bare identifier-style
+  terminals, so case-insensitive matching of non-ASCII terms (e.g. ``\i café``)
+  works without single-quoting.
 
 ## Language changes
 
diff --git a/lib/pure/pegs.nim b/lib/pure/pegs.nim
index 97d586a7c1..eaece6fa12 100644
--- a/lib/pure/pegs.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/pegs.nim
@@ -1668,7 +1668,10 @@ func getSymbol(c: var PegLexer, tok: var Token) =
   while pos < c.buf.len:
     add(tok.literal, c.buf[pos])
     inc(pos)
-    if pos < c.buf.len and c.buf[pos] notin strutils.IdentChars: break
+    if pos < c.buf.len:
+      let ch = c.buf[pos]
+      # Keep non-ASCII bytes so UTF-8 terminals reach the rune-aware matchers.
+      if ch notin strutils.IdentChars and ord(ch) < 0x80: break
   c.bufpos = pos
   tok.kind = tkIdentifier
 
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/tpegs.nim b/tests/stdlib/tpegs.nim
index 18753a9bea..04774aa35b 100644
--- a/tests/stdlib/tpegs.nim
+++ b/tests/stdlib/tpegs.nim
@@ -259,6 +259,11 @@ block:
     doAssert match("EINE ÜBERSICHT UND AUSSERDEM", peg"(\upper \white*)+")
     doAssert(not match("456678", peg"(\letter)+"))
 
+    block:
+      doAssert match("CAFÉ", peg"\i café")
+      doAssert match("Café", peg"\i café")
+      doAssert "two cafés: Café and CAFÉ".findAll(peg"\i café").len == 3
+
     doAssert("var1 = key; var2 = key2".replacef(
       peg"\skip(\s*) {\ident}'='{\ident}", "$1<-$2$2") ==
            "var1<-keykey;var2<-key2key2")