diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-test-rh.yml b/.github/workflows/build-and-test-rh.yml
index 90f0773..64fc2f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-test-rh.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-test-rh.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        image: [ 'centos:7', 'quay.io/centos/centos:stream9', 'fedora:35', 'fedora:36', 'fedora:38' ]
+        image: [ 'centos:7', 'quay.io/centos/centos:stream9', 'fedora:35', 'fedora:36']
         env: [ {CC: gcc, CXX: g++}, {CC: clang, CXX: clang++} ]
         shared: [ on, off ]
     container: ${{ matrix.image }}
diff --git a/include/sexpp/sexp.h b/include/sexpp/sexp.h
index bb6ae4e..3ffb735 100644
--- a/include/sexpp/sexp.h
+++ b/include/sexpp/sexp.h
@@ -44,8 +44,93 @@
 #include "sexp-public.h"
 #include "sexp-error.h"
 
+// We are implementing char traits for octet_t with trhe following restrictions
+//  -- limit visibility so that other traits for unsigned char are still possible
+//  -- create template specializatio in std workspace (use workspace specialization
+//     is not specified and causes issues at least with gcc 4.8
+
 namespace sexp {
+using octet_t = uint8_t;
+} // namespace sexp
+
+namespace std {
+
+template <> struct char_traits<sexp::octet_t> {
+    typedef sexp::octet_t  char_type;
+    typedef int            int_type;
+    typedef std::streampos pos_type;
+    typedef std::streamoff off_type;
+    typedef mbstate_t      state_type;
+
+    static void assign(char_type &__c1, const char_type &__c2) noexcept { __c1 = __c2; }
+
+    static constexpr bool eq(const char_type &__c1, const char_type &__c2) noexcept
+    {
+        return __c1 == __c2;
+    }
+
+    static constexpr bool lt(const char_type &__c1, const char_type &__c2) noexcept
+    {
+        return __c1 < __c2;
+    }
+
+    static int compare(const char_type *__s1, const char_type *__s2, size_t __n)
+    {
+        return memcmp(__s1, __s2, __n);
+    }
+
+    static size_t length(const char_type *__s)
+    {
+        return strlen(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(__s));
+    }
+
+    static const char_type *find(const char_type *__s, size_t __n, const char_type &__a)
+    {
+        return static_cast<const char_type *>(memchr(__s, __a, __n));
+    }
+
+    static char_type *move(char_type *__s1, const char_type *__s2, size_t __n)
+    {
+        return static_cast<char_type *>(memmove(__s1, __s2, __n));
+    }
+
+    static char_type *copy(char_type *__s1, const char_type *__s2, size_t __n)
+    {
+        return static_cast<char_type *>(memcpy(__s1, __s2, __n));
+    }
+
+    static char_type *assign(char_type *__s, size_t __n, char_type __a)
+    {
+        return static_cast<char_type *>(memset(__s, __a, __n));
+    }
+
+    static constexpr char_type to_char_type(const int_type &__c) noexcept
+    {
+        return static_cast<char_type>(__c);
+    }
+
+    // To keep both the byte 0xff and the eof symbol 0xffffffff
+    // from ending up as 0xffffffff.
+    static constexpr int_type to_int_type(const char_type &__c) noexcept
+    {
+        return static_cast<int_type>(static_cast<unsigned char>(__c));
+    }
+
+    static constexpr bool eq_int_type(const int_type &__c1, const int_type &__c2) noexcept
+    {
+        return __c1 == __c2;
+    }
+
+    static constexpr int_type eof() noexcept { return static_cast<int_type>(0xFFFFFFFF); }
 
+    static constexpr int_type not_eof(const int_type &__c) noexcept
+    {
+        return (__c == eof()) ? 0 : __c;
+    }
+};
+} // namespace std
+
+namespace sexp {
 /*
  * SEXP octet_t definitions
  * We maintain some presumable redundancy with ctype
@@ -99,14 +184,14 @@ class sexp_input_stream_t;
  * SEXP simple string
  */
 
-typedef uint8_t octet_t;
+using octet_traits = std::char_traits<octet_t>;
+using octet_string = std::basic_string<octet_t, octet_traits>;
 
-class SEXP_PUBLIC_SYMBOL sexp_simple_string_t : public std::basic_string<octet_t>,
-                                                private sexp_char_defs_t {
+class SEXP_PUBLIC_SYMBOL sexp_simple_string_t : public octet_string, private sexp_char_defs_t {
   public:
     sexp_simple_string_t(void) = default;
-    sexp_simple_string_t(const octet_t *dt) : std::basic_string<octet_t>{dt} {}
-    sexp_simple_string_t(const octet_t *bt, size_t ln) : std::basic_string<octet_t>{bt, ln} {}
+    sexp_simple_string_t(const octet_t *dt) : octet_string{dt} {}
+    sexp_simple_string_t(const octet_t *bt, size_t ln) : octet_string{bt, ln} {}
     sexp_simple_string_t &append(int c)
     {
         (*this) += (octet_t)(c & 0xFF);
diff --git a/tests/src/traits-tests.cpp b/tests/src/traits-tests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52e1019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/traits-tests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/**
+ *
+ * Copyright 2024 Ribose Inc. (https://www.ribose.com)
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of
+ * this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in
+ * the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to
+ * use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of
+ * the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
+ * subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
+ * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR
+ * COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER
+ * IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN
+ * CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "sexp-tests.h"
+
+using namespace sexp;
+
+namespace {
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Assign)
+{
+    octet_t a = 0x12;
+    octet_t b = 0x34;
+    octet_traits::assign(a, b);
+    EXPECT_EQ(a, b);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Eq)
+{
+    octet_t a = 0x12;
+    octet_t b = 0x12;
+    EXPECT_TRUE(octet_traits::eq(a, b));
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Lt)
+{
+    octet_t a = 0x12;
+    octet_t b = 0x34;
+    EXPECT_TRUE(octet_traits::lt(a, b));
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Compare)
+{
+    octet_t s1[] = {0x12, 0x34, 0x56};
+    octet_t s2[] = {0x12, 0x34, 0x57};
+    EXPECT_LT(octet_traits::compare(s1, s2, 3), 0);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Find)
+{
+    octet_t s[] = {0x12, 0x34, 0x56};
+    octet_t a = 0x34;
+    EXPECT_EQ(octet_traits::find(s, 3, a), s + 1);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Move)
+{
+    octet_t s1[] = {0x12, 0x34, 0x56};
+    octet_t s2[3];
+    octet_traits::move(s2, s1, 3);
+    EXPECT_EQ(memcmp(s1, s2, 3), 0);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, Copy)
+{
+    octet_t s1[] = {0x12, 0x34, 0x56};
+    octet_t s2[3];
+    octet_traits::copy(s2, s1, 3);
+    EXPECT_EQ(memcmp(s1, s2, 3), 0);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, AssignMultiple)
+{
+    octet_t s[3];
+    octet_t a = 0x12;
+    octet_traits::assign(s, 3, a);
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+        EXPECT_EQ(s[i], a);
+    }
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, ToCharType)
+{
+    octet_traits::int_type a = 0x12;
+    EXPECT_EQ(octet_traits::to_char_type(a), 0x12);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, ToIntType)
+{
+    octet_t a = 0x12;
+    EXPECT_EQ(octet_traits::to_int_type(a), 0x12);
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, EqIntType)
+{
+    octet_traits::int_type a = 0x12;
+    octet_traits::int_type b = 0x12;
+    EXPECT_TRUE(octet_traits::eq_int_type(a, b));
+}
+
+TEST(OctetTraitsTest, NotEof)
+{
+    octet_traits::int_type a = 0x12;
+    EXPECT_EQ(octet_traits::not_eof(a), 0x12);
+}
+} // namespace
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
index 1e9b46b..6201b5f 100644
--- a/version.txt
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.8.7
+0.8.8