diff --git a/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLDatabaseConnection.php b/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLDatabaseConnection.php
--- a/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLDatabaseConnection.php
+++ b/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLDatabaseConnection.php
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
 
     $ok = @mysql_set_charset('utf8mb4', $conn);
     if (!$ok) {
-      mysql_set_charset('utf8', $conn);
+      mysql_set_charset('binary', $conn);
     }
 
     return $conn;
diff --git a/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLiDatabaseConnection.php b/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLiDatabaseConnection.php
--- a/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLiDatabaseConnection.php
+++ b/src/aphront/storage/connection/mysql/AphrontMySQLiDatabaseConnection.php
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 
     $ok = @$conn->set_charset('utf8mb4');
     if (!$ok) {
-      $ok = $conn->set_charset('utf8');
+      $ok = $conn->set_charset('binary');
     }
 
     return $conn;