diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a7246a52..c6a63cd1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@
 /doc
 erl_crash.dump
 *.ez
+/.vscode
diff --git a/lib/plug/conn/utils.ex b/lib/plug/conn/utils.ex
index 5bb7e20a..e1d9c4e1 100644
--- a/lib/plug/conn/utils.ex
+++ b/lib/plug/conn/utils.ex
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 defmodule Plug.Conn.Utils do
+  require Logger
+
   @moduledoc """
   Utilities for working with connection data
   """
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ defmodule Plug.Conn.Utils do
   @other [?., ?-, ?+]
   @space [?\s, ?\t]
   @specials ~c|()<>@,;:\\"/[]?={}|
+  @utf8_error_code Application.compile_env(:plug, :utf8_error_code, 500)
 
   @doc ~S"""
   Parses media types (with wildcards).
@@ -278,24 +281,78 @@ defmodule Plug.Conn.Utils do
   end
 
   @doc """
-  Validates the given binary is valid UTF-8.
+  Validates if the given binary data is valid UTF-8.
+
+  This function checks a binary string to determine if it is a valid UTF-8 encoded string.
+  It operates based on the given `error_code`, which dictates the behavior when encountering invalid UTF-8 bytes.
+
+  ## Parameters
+
+    - `binary`: The binary data to be checked.
+    - `exception`: The exception module to be used for raising errors in case of invalid UTF-8.
+    - `context`: A string providing context about the binary data being checked.
+    - `error_code`: An integer that determines the behavior when invalid UTF-8 is encountered.
+      - `500` will raise the specified `exception` (default).
+      - `404` will return an error tuple.
+      - Codes within `100..999` will log a warning.
+
+  ## Examples
+
+      iex> Plug.Conn.Utils.validate_utf8!(<<255, "invalid">>, RuntimeError, "test context")
+      ** (RuntimeError) invalid UTF-8 on test context, got byte 255 in position 0
+
+      iex> Plug.Conn.Utils.validate_utf8!("valid string", RuntimeError, "test context", 404)
+      :ok
+
+      iex> Plug.Conn.Utils.validate_utf8!(<<255, "invalid">>, RuntimeError, "test context", 404)
+      {:error, "invalid UTF-8 on test context, got byte 255 in position 0"}
+
+
+
+      # Example with logging for invalid UTF-8
+      iex> Plug.Conn.Utils.validate_utf8!(<<255, "invalid">>, RuntimeError, "test context", 200)
+      :ok
+      # Logs "invalid UTF-8 on test context, got byte 255 in position 0"
+
   """
-  @spec validate_utf8!(binary, module, binary) :: :ok | no_return
-  def validate_utf8!(binary, exception, context)
+  @spec validate_utf8!(binary, module, binary, integer()) ::
+          :ok | no_return | {:error, String.t()}
+  def validate_utf8!(binary, exception, context, error_code \\ @utf8_error_code)
+
+  def validate_utf8!(<<binary::binary>>, exception, context, error_code) do
+    do_validate_utf8!(binary, exception, context, error_code, 0)
+  end
 
-  def validate_utf8!(<<binary::binary>>, exception, context) do
-    do_validate_utf8!(binary, exception, context)
+  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<a::56, rest::bits>>, exception, context, error_code, byte_position)
+       when Bitwise.band(a, 0x80808080808080) == 0 do
+    do_validate_utf8!(rest, exception, context, error_code, byte_position + 7)
   end
 
-  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<_::utf8, rest::bits>>, exception, context) do
-    do_validate_utf8!(rest, exception, context)
+  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<_::utf8, rest::bits>>, exception, context, error_code, byte_position) do
+    do_validate_utf8!(rest, exception, context, error_code, byte_position + 1)
   end
 
-  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<byte, _::bits>>, exception, context) do
-    raise exception, "invalid UTF-8 on #{context}, got byte #{byte}"
+  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<byte, _::bits>>, exception, context, error_code, byte_position) do
+    case error_code do
+      500 ->
+        raise exception,
+              "invalid UTF-8 on #{context}, got byte #{byte} in position #{byte_position}"
+
+      404 ->
+        {:error, "invalid UTF-8 on #{context}, got byte #{byte} in position #{byte_position}"}
+
+      error_code when error_code in 100..999 ->
+        :ok =
+          Logger.warning(
+            "invalid UTF-8 on #{context}, got byte #{byte} in position #{byte_position}",
+            error: @utf8_error_code,
+            context: context,
+            byte: byte
+          )
+    end
   end
 
-  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<>>, _exception, _context) do
+  defp do_validate_utf8!(<<>>, _exception, _context, _error_code, _byte_position) do
     :ok
   end
 
diff --git a/test/plug/conn/utils_test.exs b/test/plug/conn/utils_test.exs
index 09e83963..52234e64 100644
--- a/test/plug/conn/utils_test.exs
+++ b/test/plug/conn/utils_test.exs
@@ -1,6 +1,83 @@
 defmodule Plug.Conn.UtilsTest do
   use ExUnit.Case, async: true
+  import ExUnit.CaptureLog
 
   import Plug.Conn.Utils
+  alias Plug.Conn.Utils, as: Utils
   doctest Plug.Conn.Utils
+
+  @exception RuntimeError
+  @context "test context"
+  @valid_utf8 "utm_campaign=summer+sale&foo=bar&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_term=utm_term&utm_content=utm_content&utm_id=utm_id"
+  @invalid_utf8 <<"utm_campaign=summer+sale&foo=bar&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sen", 255>>
+
+  setup_all do
+    %{
+      exception: @exception,
+      context: @context,
+      valid_utf8: @valid_utf8,
+      invalid_utf8: @invalid_utf8
+    }
+  end
+
+  describe "validate_utf8! with error_code 500" do
+    setup context, do: Map.merge(context, %{error_code: 500})
+
+    test "raises an exception for invalid UTF-8 input", context do
+      assert_raise context.exception,
+                   "invalid UTF-8 on #{context.context}, got byte 255 in position #{byte_size(@invalid_utf8) - 1}",
+                   fn ->
+                     Utils.validate_utf8!(
+                       context.invalid_utf8,
+                       context.exception,
+                       context.context,
+                       context.error_code
+                     )
+                   end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "validate_utf8! with error_code 404" do
+    setup context, do: Map.merge(context, %{error_code: 404})
+
+    test "returns {:error, message} for invalid UTF-8 w/ error code 404",
+         context_map do
+      %{context: context} = context_map
+
+      error_tuple =
+        {:error,
+         "invalid UTF-8 on #{context}, got byte 255 in position #{byte_size(@invalid_utf8) - 1}"}
+
+      assert error_tuple ==
+               Utils.validate_utf8!(
+                 context_map.invalid_utf8,
+                 context_map.exception,
+                 context_map.context,
+                 context_map.error_code
+               )
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "validate_utf8! with error_code 401" do
+    setup context, do: Map.merge(context, %{error_code: 401})
+
+    test "logs a detailed warning for invalid UTF-8 input in position #{byte_size(@invalid_utf8) - 1}",
+         context do
+      log =
+        capture_log(fn ->
+          assert :ok =
+                   Utils.validate_utf8!(
+                     context.invalid_utf8,
+                     context.exception,
+                     context.context,
+                     context.error_code
+                   )
+        end)
+
+      expected_log_regex =
+        ~r/^.*?invalid UTF-8 on test context, got byte 255 in position #{byte_size(@invalid_utf8) - 1}/i
+
+      assert String.match?(log, expected_log_regex)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/plug/conn_test.exs b/test/plug/conn_test.exs
index 381a99c4..561f94cb 100644
--- a/test/plug/conn_test.exs
+++ b/test/plug/conn_test.exs
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ defmodule Plug.ConnTest do
     conn = conn(:get, "/foo?a=" <> <<139>>)
 
     assert_raise Plug.Conn.InvalidQueryError,
-                 "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139",
+                 "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139 in position 0",
                  fn ->
                    fetch_query_params(conn)
                  end
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ defmodule Plug.ConnTest do
     conn = conn(:get, "/foo?a=" <> URI.encode_www_form(<<139>>))
 
     assert_raise Plug.Conn.InvalidQueryError,
-                 "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139",
+                 "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139 in position 0",
                  fn ->
                    fetch_query_params(conn)
                  end
diff --git a/test/plug/parsers_test.exs b/test/plug/parsers_test.exs
index a6f84213..d824c776 100644
--- a/test/plug/parsers_test.exs
+++ b/test/plug/parsers_test.exs
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ defmodule Plug.ParsersTest do
     conn = conn(:post, "/?foo=#{<<139>>}")
 
     assert_raise Plug.Conn.InvalidQueryError,
-                 "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139",
+                 "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139 in position 0",
                  fn ->
                    parse(%{conn | body_params: %{"foo" => "baz"}, params: %{"foo" => "baz"}})
                  end
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ defmodule Plug.ParsersTest do
 
     assert_raise(
       Plug.Parsers.BadEncodingError,
-      "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139",
+      "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139 in position 0",
       fn ->
         parse(conn, validate_utf8: true)
       end
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ defmodule Plug.ParsersTest do
   end
 
   test "raises on invalid url encoded" do
-    message = "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139"
+    message = "invalid UTF-8 on urlencoded params, got byte 139 in position 0"
 
     assert_raise Plug.Parsers.BadEncodingError, message, fn ->
       conn(:post, "/foo", "a=" <> <<139>>)