diff --git a/cmd/validate.go b/cmd/validate.go
index 3690b2d..7934e38 100644
--- a/cmd/validate.go
+++ b/cmd/validate.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (h *Handler) validate() int {
 
 	message := fmt.Sprintf("Your subject exceeds the soft limit of 50 chars by %d chars.", numOfExceedingChars)
 	h.notify(message, "yellow")
-	h.notify(cm.Subject[:softLimit] + color.InYellow(cm.Subject[softLimit:]))
+	h.notify(cm.Subject[:softLimit].String() + color.InYellow(cm.Subject[softLimit:].String()))
 
 	return 0
 }
diff --git a/cmd/validate_test.go b/cmd/validate_test.go
index 3b54a86..16458b9 100644
--- a/cmd/validate_test.go
+++ b/cmd/validate_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("returns 0 when soft limit exceeds and logs a warning", func(t *testing.T) {
 		buffer.Reset()
 		testFile := t.TempDir() + "/text.txt"
-		err := os.WriteFile(testFile, []byte("i am two characters more thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan 50"), 0666)
+		err := os.WriteFile(testFile, []byte("i am two characters more thäaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan 50"), 0666)
 		assert.Nil(t, err)
 		handler := NewHandler(model.Config{CommitMsgFile: testFile})
 		handler.Writer = buffer
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 
 		assert.Equal(t, status, 0)
 		assert.Contains(t, buffer.String(), color.Yellow+"Your subject exceeds the soft limit of 50 chars by 2 chars.")
-		assert.Contains(t, buffer.String(), "i am two characters more thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan "+color.Yellow+"50")
+		assert.Contains(t, buffer.String(), "i am two characters more thäaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan "+color.Yellow+"50")
 	})
 
 	t.Run("returns 1 when commit message too long", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/model/commit_message.go b/internal/model/commit_message.go
index 2d28a43..77748e3 100644
--- a/internal/model/commit_message.go
+++ b/internal/model/commit_message.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+type Subject []rune
+
 type CommitMessage struct {
-	Subject     string
+	Subject     Subject
 	Body        []string
 	InvalidBody bool
 }
@@ -19,9 +21,9 @@ func CreateCommitMessageFrom(messageLines []string) *CommitMessage {
 }
 
 func (cm *CommitMessage) ValidateSubject() int {
-	currentSubjectLength := len([]rune(cm.Subject))
+	currentSubjectLength := len(cm.Subject)
 
-	if strings.HasPrefix(cm.Subject, "Merge ") {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(cm.Subject.String(), "Merge ") {
 		return 0
 	}
 
@@ -32,9 +34,13 @@ func (cm *CommitMessage) ValidateSubject() int {
 	return 0
 }
 
+func (s Subject) String() string {
+	return string(s)
+}
+
 func (cm *CommitMessage) addSubject(messageLines []string) {
 	if len(messageLines) >= 1 {
-		cm.Subject = messageLines[0]
+		cm.Subject = []rune(messageLines[0])
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/model/commit_message_test.go b/internal/model/commit_message_test.go
index da532d7..9c2ef93 100644
--- a/internal/model/commit_message_test.go
+++ b/internal/model/commit_message_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func TestNewCommitMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("create new commit message object from File", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cm := CreateCommitMessageFrom(validCommitMsgLines)
 
-		assert.Equal(t, "I am a valid Subject with less than 50 characters", cm.Subject)
+		assert.Equal(t, "I am a valid Subject with less than 50 characters", cm.Subject.String())
 		assert.Len(t, cm.Body, 3)
 		assert.False(t, cm.InvalidBody)
 	})
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestNewCommitMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		var emptyCommitMsgLines []string
 		cm := CreateCommitMessageFrom(emptyCommitMsgLines)
 
-		assert.Equal(t, "", cm.Subject)
+		assert.Equal(t, "", cm.Subject.String())
 		assert.Len(t, cm.Body, 0)
 	})
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func TestNewCommitMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		cm := CreateCommitMessageFrom(invalidCommitMsgLines)
 
 		t.Run("sets body correct", func(t *testing.T) {
-			assert.Equal(t, "subject line", cm.Subject)
+			assert.Equal(t, "subject line", cm.Subject.String())
 			assert.Len(t, cm.Body, 2)
 		})