diff --git a/library/Icinga/Data/Db/DbConnection.php b/library/Icinga/Data/Db/DbConnection.php
index 4dd69ce84..f643d4849 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Data/Db/DbConnection.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Data/Db/DbConnection.php
@@ -153,6 +153,11 @@ class DbConnection implements Selectable, Extensible, Updatable, Reducible, Insp
                 $driverOptions[PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND] =
                     'SET SESSION SQL_MODE=\'STRICT_ALL_TABLES,NO_ZERO_IN_DATE,NO_ZERO_DATE,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO,'
                     . 'NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER,ANSI_QUOTES,PIPES_AS_CONCAT,NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION\';';
+                if (array_key_exists('charset', $adapterParamaters) && $adapterParamaters['charset']) {
+                    $driverOptions[PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND] .= 'SET NAMES ' . $adapterParamaters['charset']. ';';
+                    unset($adapterParamaters['charset']);
+                }
+
                 $adapterParamaters['port'] = $this->config->get('port', 3306);
                 break;
             case 'oci':