diff --git a/app/sql_query/sql_db_conversion.php b/app/sql_query/sql_db_conversion.php
index 54d3583754..d76c2b0a91 100644
--- a/app/sql_query/sql_db_conversion.php
+++ b/app/sql_query/sql_db_conversion.php
@@ -209,28 +209,27 @@ else {
 					if (strlen($db_host) == 0 && strlen($db_port) == 0) {
 						//if both host and port are empty use the unix socket
 						if (strlen($db_create_username) == 0) {
-							$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_username, $db_password);
+							$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 						}
 						else {
-							$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password);
-						}
+							$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));						}
 					}
 					else {
 						if (strlen($db_port) == 0) {
 							//leave out port if it is empty
 							if (strlen($db_create_username) == 0) {
-								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_username, $db_password);
+								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 							else {
-								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password);
+								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 						}
 						else {
 							if (strlen($db_create_username) == 0) {
-								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_username, $db_password);
+								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 							else {
-								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password);
+								$db_dest = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 						}
 					}
diff --git a/resources/install.php b/resources/install.php
index 07336ab20a..1cb910e470 100644
--- a/resources/install.php
+++ b/resources/install.php
@@ -629,28 +629,27 @@ if ($_POST["install_step"] == "3" && count($_POST) > 0 && strlen($_POST["persist
 					if (strlen($db_host) == 0 && strlen($db_port) == 0) {
 						//if both host and port are empty use the unix socket
 						if (strlen($db_create_username) == 0) {
-							$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_username, $db_password);
+							$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 						}
 						else {
-							$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password);
+							$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 						}
 					}
 					else {
 						if (strlen($db_port) == 0) {
 							//leave out port if it is empty
 							if (strlen($db_create_username) == 0) {
-								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_username, $db_password);
+								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 							else {
-								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password);
-							}
+								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));							}
 						}
 						else {
 							if (strlen($db_create_username) == 0) {
-								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_username, $db_password);
+								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 							else {
-								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password);
+								$db_tmp = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;", $db_create_username, $db_create_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 							}
 						}
 					}
diff --git a/resources/pdo.php b/resources/pdo.php
index 6086091c8e..c653fa2206 100644
--- a/resources/pdo.php
+++ b/resources/pdo.php
@@ -188,18 +188,20 @@ if ($db_type == "mysql") {
 		//mysql pdo connection
 			if (strlen($db_host) == 0 && strlen($db_port) == 0) {
 				//if both host and port are empty use the unix socket
-				$db = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;dbname=$db_name", $db_username, $db_password);
+				$db = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;unix_socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock;dbname=$db_name", $db_username, $db_password, array(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8'));
 			}
 			else {
 				if (strlen($db_port) == 0) {
 					//leave out port if it is empty
 					$db = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;dbname=$db_name;", $db_username, $db_password, array(
+					PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8',
 					PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE,
 					PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION
 					));
 				}
 				else {
 					$db = new PDO("mysql:host=$db_host;port=$db_port;dbname=$db_name;", $db_username, $db_password, array(
+					PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8',
 					PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE,
 					PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION
 					));