diff --git a/doc/80-Upgrading.md b/doc/80-Upgrading.md
index a3b7542e4..a24d4ac4c 100644
--- a/doc/80-Upgrading.md
+++ b/doc/80-Upgrading.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ v2.6 to v2.8 requires to follow the instructions for v2.7 too.
 
 * The Vagrant file and all its assets have been removed.
 
+**Database Schema**
+
+* Please apply the `v2.11.0.sql` upgrade script depending on your database vendor.
+  In package installations this file can be found in `/usr/share/doc/icingaweb2/schema/*-upgrades/`
+  (Debian/Ubuntu: `/usr/share/icingaweb2/etc/schema/*-upgrades/`).
+
 ## Upgrading to Icinga Web 2 2.10.x
 
 **General**
diff --git a/etc/schema/mysql-upgrades/2.11.0.sql b/etc/schema/mysql-upgrades/2.11.0.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d55d563d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/schema/mysql-upgrades/2.11.0.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_group` CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_group_membership` CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_user` CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_user_preference` CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;
+
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_group`
+    MODIFY COLUMN `name` varchar(64) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL;
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_group_membership`
+    MODIFY COLUMN `username` varchar(254) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL;
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_user`
+    MODIFY COLUMN `name` varchar(254) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL;
+
+ALTER TABLE `icingaweb_user_preference`
+    MODIFY COLUMN `username` varchar(254) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+    MODIFY COLUMN `section`  varchar(64) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+    MODIFY COLUMN `name`     varchar(64) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL;
diff --git a/etc/schema/mysql.schema.sql b/etc/schema/mysql.schema.sql
index 62168c39d..18d9b2b83 100644
--- a/etc/schema/mysql.schema.sql
+++ b/etc/schema/mysql.schema.sql
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 CREATE TABLE `icingaweb_group`(
   `id`     int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
-  `name`   varchar(64) COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+  `name`   varchar(64) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
   `parent` int(10) unsigned NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   `ctime`  timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   `mtime`  timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
@@ -10,36 +10,36 @@ CREATE TABLE `icingaweb_group`(
   UNIQUE KEY `idx_name` (`name`),
   CONSTRAINT `fk_icingaweb_group_parent_id` FOREIGN KEY (`parent`)
     REFERENCES `icingaweb_group` (`id`)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
 
 CREATE TABLE `icingaweb_group_membership`(
   `group_id`   int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
-  `username`   varchar(254) COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+  `username`   varchar(254) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
   `ctime`      timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   `mtime`      timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   PRIMARY KEY (`group_id`,`username`),
   CONSTRAINT `fk_icingaweb_group_membership_icingaweb_group` FOREIGN KEY (`group_id`)
     REFERENCES `icingaweb_group` (`id`)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
 
 CREATE TABLE `icingaweb_user`(
-  `name`          varchar(254) COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+  `name`          varchar(254) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
   `active`        tinyint(1) NOT NULL,
   `password_hash` varbinary(255) NOT NULL,
   `ctime`         timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   `mtime`         timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   PRIMARY KEY (`name`)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
 
 CREATE TABLE `icingaweb_user_preference`(
-  `username` varchar(254) COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
-  `section`  varchar(64) COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
-  `name`     varchar(64) COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+  `username` varchar(254) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+  `section`  varchar(64) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+  `name`     varchar(64) COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
   `value`    varchar(255) NOT NULL,
   `ctime`    timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   `mtime`    timestamp NULL DEFAULT NULL ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   PRIMARY KEY (`username`,`section`,`name`)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
 
 CREATE TABLE `icingaweb_rememberme`(
   id                int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/DbUserBackend.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/DbUserBackend.php
index 8b8062350..0e8cc6a54 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/DbUserBackend.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/DbUserBackend.php
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class DbUserBackend extends DbRepository implements UserBackendInterface, Inspec
      */
     protected $queryColumns = array(
         'user' => array(
-            'user'          => 'name COLLATE utf8_general_ci',
+            'user'          => 'name COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci',
             'user_name'     => 'name',
             'is_active'     => 'active',
             'created_at'    => 'UNIX_TIMESTAMP(ctime)',
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/UserBackend.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/UserBackend.php
index 826c56e7d..f2059ed85 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/UserBackend.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/UserBackend.php
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ class UserBackend implements ConfigAwareFactory
 
         $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($backendConfig->resource);
         if ($backendType === 'db' && $resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-            $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+            $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
         }
 
         $resource = ResourceFactory::createResource($resourceConfig);
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/DbUserGroupBackend.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/DbUserGroupBackend.php
index 04b556ade..66db97fdb 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/DbUserGroupBackend.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/DbUserGroupBackend.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class DbUserGroupBackend extends DbRepository implements Inspectable, UserGroupB
     protected $queryColumns = array(
         'group' => array(
             'group_id'      => 'g.id',
-            'group'         => 'g.name COLLATE utf8_general_ci',
+            'group'         => 'g.name COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci',
             'group_name'    => 'g.name',
             'parent'        => 'g.parent',
             'created_at'    => 'UNIX_TIMESTAMP(g.ctime)',
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class DbUserGroupBackend extends DbRepository implements Inspectable, UserGroupB
         ),
         'group_membership' => array(
             'group_id'      => 'gm.group_id',
-            'user'          => 'gm.username COLLATE utf8_general_ci',
+            'user'          => 'gm.username COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci',
             'user_name'     => 'gm.username',
             'created_at'    => 'UNIX_TIMESTAMP(gm.ctime)',
             'last_modified' => 'UNIX_TIMESTAMP(gm.mtime)'
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/UserGroupBackend.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/UserGroupBackend.php
index e73908739..76fa2d07e 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/UserGroupBackend.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/UserGroup/UserGroupBackend.php
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class UserGroupBackend
 
         $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($backendConfig->resource);
         if ($backendType === 'db' && $resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-            $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+            $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
         }
 
         $resource = ResourceFactory::createResource($resourceConfig);
diff --git a/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php b/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php
index a084314e4..d3c5f5397 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ abstract class PreferencesStore
         } elseif ($type === 'Db') {
             $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($config->resource);
             if ($resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-                $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+                $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
             }
 
             $config->connection = ResourceFactory::createResource($resourceConfig);
diff --git a/modules/migrate/application/clicommands/PreferencesCommand.php b/modules/migrate/application/clicommands/PreferencesCommand.php
index a8bfc76be..f31665493 100644
--- a/modules/migrate/application/clicommands/PreferencesCommand.php
+++ b/modules/migrate/application/clicommands/PreferencesCommand.php
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class PreferencesCommand extends Command
 
         $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($resource);
         if ($resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-            $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+            $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
         }
 
         $connection = ResourceFactory::createResource($resourceConfig);
diff --git a/modules/migrate/library/Migrate/Config/UserDomainMigration.php b/modules/migrate/library/Migrate/Config/UserDomainMigration.php
index 480f74648..1c3f6e181 100644
--- a/modules/migrate/library/Migrate/Config/UserDomainMigration.php
+++ b/modules/migrate/library/Migrate/Config/UserDomainMigration.php
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class UserDomainMigration
             case 'db':
                 $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($config->get('global', 'config_resource'));
                 if ($resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-                    $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+                    $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
                 }
 
                 /** @var DbConnection $conn */
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ class UserDomainMigration
 
             $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($config->resource);
             if ($resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-                $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+                $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
             }
 
             /** @var DbConnection $conn */
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class UserDomainMigration
 
             $resourceConfig = ResourceFactory::getResourceConfig($config->resource);
             if ($resourceConfig->db === 'mysql') {
-                $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8';
+                $resourceConfig->charset = 'utf8mb4';
             }
 
             /** @var DbConnection $conn */