diff --git a/Module.py b/Module.py
index 23e0efb..39e158a 100644
--- a/Module.py
+++ b/Module.py
@@ -208,7 +208,8 @@ class Module(object):
         dbuser = self.config.get('dr.botzo', 'dbuser')
         dbpass = self.config.get('dr.botzo', 'dbpass')
         dbname = self.config.get('dr.botzo', 'dbname')
-        db = mdb.connect(dbhost, dbuser, dbpass, dbname, use_unicode=True)
+        db = mdb.connect(dbhost, dbuser, dbpass, dbname, charset='utf8',
+                         use_unicode=True)
 
         return db
 
diff --git a/dr.botzo.py b/dr.botzo.py
index 64a1f4a..c59c383 100644
--- a/dr.botzo.py
+++ b/dr.botzo.py
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ try:
     dbuser = config.get('dr.botzo', 'dbuser')
     dbpass = config.get('dr.botzo', 'dbpass')
     dbname = config.get('dr.botzo', 'dbname')
-    db = mdb.connect(dbhost, dbuser, dbpass, dbname, use_unicode=True)
+    db = mdb.connect(dbhost, dbuser, dbpass, dbname, charset='utf8',
+                     use_unicode=True)
     try:
         cur = db.cursor()
         # need to create the drbotzo_modules table if it doesn't exist