diff --git a/spec/compiler/macro/macro_methods_spec.cr b/spec/compiler/macro/macro_methods_spec.cr
index 493fd070744a..a41068be40d0 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/macro/macro_methods_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/compiler/macro/macro_methods_spec.cr
@@ -591,6 +591,11 @@ module Crystal
         assert_macro %({{"hello world".titleize}}), %("Hello World")
       end
 
+      it "executes to_utf16" do
+        assert_macro %({{"hello".to_utf16}}), "(::Slice(::UInt16).literal(104_u16, 101_u16, 108_u16, 108_u16, 111_u16, 0_u16))[0, 5]"
+        assert_macro %({{"TEST 😐🐙 ±∀ の".to_utf16}}), "(::Slice(::UInt16).literal(84_u16, 69_u16, 83_u16, 84_u16, 32_u16, 55357_u16, 56848_u16, 55357_u16, 56345_u16, 32_u16, 177_u16, 8704_u16, 32_u16, 12398_u16, 0_u16))[0, 14]"
+      end
+
       it "executes to_i" do
         assert_macro %({{"1234".to_i}}), %(1234)
       end
diff --git a/src/compiler/crystal/macros/methods.cr b/src/compiler/crystal/macros/methods.cr
index 2c45f49701fd..2b6ac1c1d25b 100644
--- a/src/compiler/crystal/macros/methods.cr
+++ b/src/compiler/crystal/macros/methods.cr
@@ -820,6 +820,21 @@ module Crystal
         else
           raise "StringLiteral#to_i: #{@value} is not an integer"
         end
+      when "to_utf16"
+        interpret_check_args do
+          slice = @value.to_utf16
+
+          # include the trailing zero that isn't counted in the slice but was
+          # generated by String#to_utf16 so the literal can be passed to C
+          # functions that expect a null terminated UInt16*
+          args = Slice(UInt16).new(slice.to_unsafe, slice.size + 1).to_a do |codepoint|
+            NumberLiteral.new(codepoint).as(ASTNode)
+          end
+          literal_node = Call.new(Generic.new(Path.global("Slice"), [Path.global("UInt16")] of ASTNode), "literal", args)
+
+          # but keep the trailing zero hidden in the exposed slice
+          Call.new(literal_node, "[]", [NumberLiteral.new("0", :i32), NumberLiteral.new(slice.size)] of ASTNode)
+        end
       when "tr"
         interpret_check_args do |first, second|
           raise "first argument to StringLiteral#tr must be a string, not #{first.class_desc}" unless first.is_a?(StringLiteral)