diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9a5b76d..174be64 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ target_sources(
               include/stdx/cx_set.hpp
               include/stdx/cx_vector.hpp
               include/stdx/detail/bitset_common.hpp
+              include/stdx/detail/fmt.hpp
               include/stdx/detail/list_common.hpp
               include/stdx/env.hpp
               include/stdx/for_each_n_args.hpp
diff --git a/docs/ct_format.adoc b/docs/ct_format.adoc
index 535f782..8b92c51 100644
--- a/docs/ct_format.adoc
+++ b/docs/ct_format.adoc
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ provides `ct_format`, a compile-time function for formatting strings.
 NOTE: Like xref:ct_string.adoc#_ct_string_hpp[`ct_string`], `ct_format` is
 available only in C++20 and later.
 
-IMPORTANT: `ct_format` is not yet available on freestanding implementations.
+IMPORTANT: `ct_format` is limited on freestanding implementations: format
+specifiers are limited to `{}` and `{:x}`.
 
 The format string is provided as a template argument, and the arguments to be
 formatted as regular function arguments.
diff --git a/docs/static_assert.adoc b/docs/static_assert.adoc
index 6df4730..944fac6 100644
--- a/docs/static_assert.adoc
+++ b/docs/static_assert.adoc
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 
 `STATIC_ASSERT` is a way to produce compile-time errors using formatted strings.
 
-IMPORTANT: `STATIC_ASSERT` is not yet available on freestanding implementations.
+IMPORTANT: `STATIC_ASSERT` is limited on freestanding implementations in the
+same way as xref:ct_format.adoc#_ct_format_hpp[`ct_format`].
 
 [source,cpp]
 ----
diff --git a/include/stdx/ct_format.hpp b/include/stdx/ct_format.hpp
index 3427bdb..c2b3d15 100644
--- a/include/stdx/ct_format.hpp
+++ b/include/stdx/ct_format.hpp
@@ -6,15 +6,13 @@
 #include <stdx/concepts.hpp>
 #include <stdx/ct_conversions.hpp>
 #include <stdx/ct_string.hpp>
+#include <stdx/detail/fmt.hpp>
 #include <stdx/pp_map.hpp>
 #include <stdx/tuple.hpp>
 #include <stdx/tuple_algorithms.hpp>
 #include <stdx/type_traits.hpp>
 #include <stdx/utility.hpp>
 
-#include <fmt/compile.h>
-#include <fmt/format.h>
-
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <array>
 #include <iterator>
@@ -207,7 +205,7 @@ CONSTEVAL auto perform_format(auto s, auto v) -> ct_string<N + 1> {
 
 template <ct_string Fmt, typename Arg> constexpr auto format1(Arg arg) {
     if constexpr (requires { arg_value(arg); }) {
-        constexpr auto fmtstr = FMT_COMPILE(std::string_view{Fmt});
+        constexpr auto fmtstr = STDX_FMT_COMPILE(Fmt);
         constexpr auto a = arg_value(arg);
         if constexpr (is_specialization_of_v<std::remove_cv_t<decltype(a)>,
                                              format_result>) {
diff --git a/include/stdx/detail/fmt.hpp b/include/stdx/detail/fmt.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d2abe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/stdx/detail/fmt.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#if not STDX_FMT_FREESTANDING
+
+#include <fmt/compile.h>
+#include <fmt/format.h>
+
+#include <string_view>
+
+#define STDX_FMT_COMPILE(Fmt) FMT_COMPILE(std::string_view{Fmt})
+
+#else
+
+#include <stdx/compiler.hpp>
+#include <stdx/concepts.hpp>
+#include <stdx/ranges.hpp>
+
+#include <cstddef>
+
+#define STDX_FMT_COMPILE(X) [] { return X; }
+
+namespace stdx {
+inline namespace v1 {
+namespace fmt {
+
+namespace detail {
+struct fmt_spec {
+    int len{};
+    int base{};
+    bool well_formed{true};
+};
+
+CONSTEVAL auto parse_fmt_spec(auto fmtstr) -> fmt_spec {
+    constexpr auto fmt = fmtstr();
+    auto i = fmt.begin();
+    while (*i != '{') {
+        ++i;
+    }
+    ++i;
+    if (*i == '}') {
+        return {.len = 2, .base = 10};
+    } else if (*i++ == ':' and *i++ == 'x' and *i == '}') {
+        return {.len = 4, .base = 16};
+    }
+    return {.well_formed = false};
+}
+
+template <stdx::range R>
+CONSTEVAL auto formatted_size(fmt_spec, R const &r) -> std::size_t {
+    return r.size();
+}
+
+CONSTEVAL auto formatted_size(fmt_spec, char const *str) -> std::size_t {
+    std::size_t sz{};
+    while (*str) {
+        ++sz;
+        ++str;
+    }
+    return sz;
+}
+
+CONSTEVAL auto formatted_size(fmt_spec, char) -> std::size_t { return 1; }
+
+template <stdx::integral I>
+CONSTEVAL auto formatted_size(fmt_spec s, I i) -> std::size_t {
+    if (i == 0) {
+        return 1;
+    } else {
+        std::size_t sz{};
+        if (i < 0) {
+            ++sz;
+        }
+
+        while (i != 0) {
+            ++sz;
+            i /= s.base;
+        }
+        return sz;
+    }
+}
+} // namespace detail
+
+CONSTEVAL auto formatted_size(auto fmtstr, auto v) -> std::size_t {
+    constexpr auto spec = detail::parse_fmt_spec(fmtstr);
+    static_assert(
+        spec.well_formed,
+        "Freestanding fmt implementation does not support that format "
+        "specifier");
+
+    return fmtstr().size() - spec.len + detail::formatted_size(spec, v);
+}
+
+namespace detail {
+template <typename It, stdx::range R>
+CONSTEVAL auto format_to(fmt_spec, It dest, R const &r) -> It {
+    for (auto const c : r) {
+        *dest++ = c;
+    }
+    return dest;
+}
+
+template <typename It>
+CONSTEVAL auto format_to(fmt_spec, It dest, char const *str) -> It {
+    while (*str) {
+        *dest++ = *str++;
+    }
+    return dest;
+}
+
+template <typename It>
+CONSTEVAL auto format_to(fmt_spec, It dest, char c) -> It {
+    *dest++ = c;
+    return dest;
+}
+
+template <typename It, stdx::integral I>
+CONSTEVAL auto format_to(fmt_spec s, It dest, I i) -> It {
+    if (i == 0) {
+        *dest++ = '0';
+    } else {
+        auto abs = []<typename T>(T v) -> T { return v < 0 ? -v : v; };
+        auto to_digit = [](auto n) -> char { return "0123456789abcdef"[n]; };
+
+        if (i < 0) {
+            *dest++ = '-';
+        }
+
+        auto b = dest;
+        while (i != 0) {
+            auto digit = to_digit(abs(i % s.base));
+            i /= s.base;
+            *dest++ = digit;
+        }
+
+        auto e = dest - 1;
+        while (b < e) {
+            auto tmp = *b;
+            *b++ = *e;
+            *e-- = tmp;
+        }
+    }
+    return dest;
+}
+
+} // namespace detail
+
+template <typename It>
+CONSTEVAL auto format_to(It dest, auto fmtstr, auto v) -> void {
+    constexpr auto fmt = fmtstr();
+    constexpr auto spec = detail::parse_fmt_spec(fmtstr);
+
+    // copy to opening {
+    auto src = fmt.begin();
+    while (*src != '{') {
+        *dest++ = *src++;
+    }
+
+    // skip fmt spec
+    src += spec.len;
+
+    // format the value into the buffer
+    dest = detail::format_to(spec, dest, v);
+
+    // copy the rest of src
+    while (*src) {
+        *dest++ = *src++;
+    }
+}
+
+} // namespace fmt
+} // namespace v1
+} // namespace stdx
+
+#endif
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 0b5bc68..2bef2bf 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,6 +85,17 @@ if(${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} GREATER_EQUAL 20)
         indexed_tuple
         tuple
         tuple_algorithms)
+
+    add_unit_test(
+        "ct_format_freestanding_test"
+        CATCH2
+        FILES
+        "ct_format.cpp"
+        LIBRARIES
+        warnings
+        stdx)
+    target_compile_definitions(ct_format_freestanding_test
+                               PRIVATE -DSTDX_FMT_FREESTANDING=1)
 endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(fail)
diff --git a/test/ct_format.cpp b/test/ct_format.cpp
index df6f87c..af34730 100644
--- a/test/ct_format.cpp
+++ b/test/ct_format.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 
 #include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
 
+#include <array>
+#include <limits>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <type_traits>
+
 using namespace stdx::ct_string_literals;
 
 TEST_CASE("detect string format specifiers", "[ct_format]") {
@@ -58,6 +63,29 @@ TEST_CASE("format a compile-time integral argument (CX_VALUE)", "[ct_format]") {
                    "Hello 42"_fmt_res);
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("format a negative compile-time integral argument (CX_VALUE)",
+          "[ct_format]") {
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello {}">(CX_VALUE(-42)) ==
+                   "Hello -42"_fmt_res);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("format most negative compile-time integral argument (CX_VALUE)",
+          "[ct_format]") {
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello {}">(
+                       CX_VALUE(std::numeric_limits<int>::min())) ==
+                   "Hello -2147483648"_fmt_res);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("format zero (CX_VALUE)", "[ct_format]") {
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello {}">(CX_VALUE(0)) ==
+                   "Hello 0"_fmt_res);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("format a char (CX_VALUE)", "[ct_format]") {
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello {}orld">(CX_VALUE('w')) ==
+                   "Hello world"_fmt_res);
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("format a compile-time integral argument (ct)", "[ct_format]") {
     STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello {}">(stdx::ct<42>()) ==
                    "Hello 42"_fmt_res);
@@ -73,10 +101,17 @@ TEST_CASE("format a type argument (ct)", "[ct_format]") {
                    "Hello int"_fmt_res);
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("format a compile-time argument with different base", "[ct_format]") {
+    STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello 0x{:x}">(CX_VALUE(42)) ==
+                   "Hello 0x2a"_fmt_res);
+}
+
+#if not STDX_FMT_FREESTANDING
 TEST_CASE("format a compile-time argument with fmt spec", "[ct_format]") {
     STATIC_REQUIRE(stdx::ct_format<"Hello {:*>#6x}">(CX_VALUE(42)) ==
                    "Hello **0x2a"_fmt_res);
 }
+#endif
 
 namespace {
 enum struct E { A };
diff --git a/usage_test/CMakeLists.txt b/usage_test/CMakeLists.txt
index 0ff84f4..d490908 100644
--- a/usage_test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/usage_test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ cpmaddpackage(NAME stdx SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/.." GIT_TAG HEAD)
 add_executable(app main.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(app PRIVATE stdx)
 if(CPP_IMPLEMENTATION STREQUAL "FREESTANDING")
-    target_compile_definitions(app PRIVATE SIMULATE_FREESTANDING)
+    target_compile_definitions(app PRIVATE STDX_FMT_FREESTANDING)
     target_compile_options(app PRIVATE -ffreestanding)
 endif()
diff --git a/usage_test/main.cpp b/usage_test/main.cpp
index 4792cb5..06dcc39 100644
--- a/usage_test/main.cpp
+++ b/usage_test/main.cpp
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@
 #include <stdx/compiler.hpp>
 #include <stdx/concepts.hpp>
 #include <stdx/ct_conversions.hpp>
-#ifndef SIMULATE_FREESTANDING
 #include <stdx/ct_format.hpp>
-#endif
 #include <stdx/ct_string.hpp>
 #include <stdx/cx_map.hpp>
 #include <stdx/cx_multimap.hpp>
@@ -35,9 +33,7 @@
 #include <stdx/ranges.hpp>
 #include <stdx/rollover.hpp>
 #include <stdx/span.hpp>
-#ifndef SIMULATE_FREESTANDING
 #include <stdx/static_assert.hpp>
-#endif
 #include <stdx/tuple.hpp>
 #include <stdx/tuple_algorithms.hpp>
 #include <stdx/tuple_destructure.hpp>