diff --git a/include/basalt/utils/format.hpp b/include/basalt/utils/format.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fecddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/basalt/utils/format.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/**
+BSD 3-Clause License
+
+This file is part of the Basalt project.
+https://gitlab.com/VladyslavUsenko/basalt.git
+
+Copyright (c) 2022, Vladyslav Usenko and Nikolaus Demmel.
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+  list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+
+* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+  this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+  and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+* Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its
+  contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
+  this software without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
+AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
+SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
+CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
+OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+*/
+#pragma once
+
+#include <fmt/format.h>
+#include <fmt/ostream.h>
+
+namespace basalt {
+
+// libfmt's string literal formatter implementation was deprecated in 2021-12,
+// so provide our own (see also:
+// https://github.com/fmtlib/fmt/issues/2640#issuecomment-1048894376)
+
+namespace literals {
+
+inline auto operator"" _format(const char* s, size_t n) {
+  return [=](auto&&... args) {
+#if FMT_VERSION < 50000
+    return fmt::format(s, args...);
+#elif FMT_VERSION < 80100
+    return fmt::format(std::string_view(s, n), args...);
+#else
+    return fmt::format(fmt::runtime(std::string_view(s, n)), args...);
+#endif
+  };
+}
+
+}  // namespace literals
+
+// make the _format string literal available in the whole namespace
+using namespace literals;
+
+}  // namespace basalt
diff --git a/src/utils/time_utils.cpp b/src/utils/time_utils.cpp
index cb98ae6..3e8a6a3 100644
--- a/src/utils/time_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/time_utils.cpp
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
 #include <basalt/utils/assert.h>
+#include <basalt/utils/format.hpp>
 #include <basalt/utils/time_utils.hpp>
 
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iomanip>
 
-#include <fmt/format.h>
 #include <Eigen/Dense>
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 
 namespace basalt {
 
-using namespace fmt::literals;
-
 // compute the median of an eigen vector
 // Note: Changes the order of elements in the vector!
 // Note: For even sized vectors we don't return the mean of the middle two, but
diff --git a/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vio.cpp b/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vio.cpp
index 55a7618..e7500dd 100644
--- a/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vio.cpp
+++ b/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vio.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/utils/system_utils.h>
 #include <basalt/vi_estimator/sc_ba_base.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/cast_utils.hpp>
+#include <basalt/utils/format.hpp>
 #include <basalt/utils/time_utils.hpp>
 
 #include <basalt/linearization/linearization_base.hpp>
@@ -55,8 +56,6 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 namespace basalt {
 
-using namespace fmt::literals;
-
 template <class Scalar_>
 SqrtKeypointVioEstimator<Scalar_>::SqrtKeypointVioEstimator(
     const Eigen::Vector3d& g_, const basalt::Calibration<double>& calib_,
diff --git a/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vo.cpp b/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vo.cpp
index 968df71..78e9236 100644
--- a/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vo.cpp
+++ b/src/vi_estimator/sqrt_keypoint_vo.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/utils/assert.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/system_utils.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/cast_utils.hpp>
+#include <basalt/utils/format.hpp>
 #include <basalt/utils/time_utils.hpp>
 
 #include <basalt/linearization/linearization_base.hpp>
@@ -54,8 +55,6 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 namespace basalt {
 
-using namespace fmt::literals;
-
 template <class Scalar_>
 SqrtKeypointVoEstimator<Scalar_>::SqrtKeypointVoEstimator(
     const basalt::Calibration<double>& calib_, const VioConfig& config_)
diff --git a/src/vio.cpp b/src/vio.cpp
index acb5812..855eaca 100644
--- a/src/vio.cpp
+++ b/src/vio.cpp
@@ -65,9 +65,11 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include <basalt/utils/system_utils.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/vis_utils.h>
+#include <basalt/utils/format.hpp>
 #include <basalt/utils/time_utils.hpp>
 
-using namespace fmt::literals;
+// enable the "..."_format(...) string literal
+using namespace basalt::literals;
 
 // GUI functions
 void draw_image_overlay(pangolin::View& v, size_t cam_id);