diff --git a/doc/source/install/development.rst b/doc/source/install/development.rst
index 8ea1cdf2..e0978148 100644
--- a/doc/source/install/development.rst
+++ b/doc/source/install/development.rst
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ Installing and Upgrading the API server
 5. Edit ``./etc/storyboard.conf`` and in the ``oauth`` section, add your IP
    Adress to the list of ``valid_oauth_clients``. Then in the ``database``
    section, on the line which reads
-   ``# connection = mysql+pymysql://root:pass@127.0.0.1:3306/storyboard``,
+   ``# connection = mysql+pymysql://root:pass@127.0.0.1:3306/storyboard?charset=utf8mb4``,
    replace the ``pass`` with your password (the same as used in the above
    steps). On both of these lines you will need to remove the ``#``.
 
diff --git a/etc/storyboard.conf.sample b/etc/storyboard.conf.sample
index eb2c149b..f0f2453c 100644
--- a/etc/storyboard.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/storyboard.conf.sample
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ lock_path = $state_path/lock
 [database]
 # This line MUST be changed to actually run storyboard
 # Example:
-# connection = mysql+pymysql://root:pass@127.0.0.1:3306/storyboard
+# connection = mysql+pymysql://root:pass@127.0.0.1:3306/storyboard?charset=utf8mb4
 # Replace 127.0.0.1 above with the IP address of the database used by the
 # main storyboard server. (Leave it as is if the database runs on this host.)
 # connection=sqlite://
diff --git a/etc/storyboard.conf.test b/etc/storyboard.conf.test
index d424d64a..e2f43fe9 100644
--- a/etc/storyboard.conf.test
+++ b/etc/storyboard.conf.test
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@
 lock_path = $state_path/lock
 
 [database]
-connection = mysql+pymysql://#DB_USER#:#DB_PASSWORD#@127.0.0.1:3306/#DB_TEST#
+connection = mysql+pymysql://#DB_USER#:#DB_PASSWORD#@127.0.0.1:3306/#DB_TEST#?charset=utf8mb4
diff --git a/storyboard/tests/base.py b/storyboard/tests/base.py
index 3c9860f3..661ce24c 100644
--- a/storyboard/tests/base.py
+++ b/storyboard/tests/base.py
@@ -146,11 +146,10 @@ class DbTestCase(WorkingDirTestCase):
 
         self.db_name = "storyboard_test_db_%s" % uuid.uuid4()
         self.db_name = self.db_name.replace("-", "_")
-        CONF.set_override(
-            "connection",
-            self.test_connection + "/%s"
-            % self.db_name,
-            group="database")
+        dburi = self.test_connection + "/%s" % self.db_name
+        if dburi.startswith('mysql+pymysql://'):
+            dburi += "?charset=utf8mb4"
+        CONF.set_override("connection", dburi, group="database")
         self._full_db_name = self.test_connection + '/' + self.db_name
         LOG.info('using database %s', CONF.database.connection)
 
diff --git a/storyboard/tests/db/migration/test_migrations.conf b/storyboard/tests/db/migration/test_migrations.conf
index 11e498c2..5861e772 100644
--- a/storyboard/tests/db/migration/test_migrations.conf
+++ b/storyboard/tests/db/migration/test_migrations.conf
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 #sqlite=sqlite://
 #sqlitefile=sqlite:///test_migrations_utils.db
-mysql=mysql+pymysql://storyboard:storyboard@localhost/test_migrations_utils
+mysql=mysql+pymysql://storyboard:storyboard@localhost/test_migrations_utils?charset=utf8mb4
 
 [migration_dbs]
 # Migration DB details are listed separately as they can't be connected to
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ mysql=mysql+pymysql://storyboard:storyboard@localhost/test_migrations_utils
 
 #sqlite=sqlite://
 #sqlitefile=sqlite:///test_migrations.db
-#mysql=mysql+pymysql://user:pass@localhost/test_migrations
+#mysql=mysql+pymysql://user:pass@localhost/test_migrations?charset=utf8mb4
 
 [walk_style]
 snake_walk=yes