diff --git a/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8.py b/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8.py
index 6d51ee43b1ff2..91e73e5d4a07d 100644
--- a/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8.py
+++ b/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8.py
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
     BaseBatch,
     BaseExtensionType,
 )
+from .utf8_ext import Utf8Ext
 
 __all__ = ["Utf8", "Utf8ArrayLike", "Utf8Batch", "Utf8Like", "Utf8Type"]
 
 
 @define(init=False)
-class Utf8:
+class Utf8(Utf8Ext):
     """**Datatype**: A string of text, encoded as UTF-8."""
 
     def __init__(self: Any, value: Utf8Like):
@@ -57,11 +58,4 @@ class Utf8Batch(BaseBatch[Utf8ArrayLike]):
 
     @staticmethod
     def _native_to_pa_array(data: Utf8ArrayLike, data_type: pa.DataType) -> pa.Array:
-        if isinstance(data, str):
-            array = [data]
-        elif isinstance(data, Sequence):
-            array = [str(datum) for datum in data]
-        else:
-            array = [str(data)]
-
-        return pa.array(array, type=data_type)
+        return Utf8Ext.native_to_pa_array_override(data, data_type)
diff --git a/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8_ext.py b/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8_ext.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7972a0bab097a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rerun_py/rerun_sdk/rerun/datatypes/utf8_ext.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Sequence
+
+import numpy as np
+import pyarrow as pa
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from . import Utf8ArrayLike
+
+
+class Utf8Ext:
+    @staticmethod
+    def native_to_pa_array_override(data: Utf8ArrayLike, data_type: pa.DataType) -> pa.Array:
+        if isinstance(data, str):
+            array = [data]
+        elif isinstance(data, Sequence):
+            array = [str(datum) for datum in data]
+        elif isinstance(data, np.ndarray):
+            array = data
+        else:
+            array = [str(data)]
+
+        return pa.array(array, type=data_type)