mysql> set names 'utf8'; Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec) mysql> show variables like 'character\_set\_%'; +--------------------------+--------+ | Variable_name | Value | +--------------------------+--------+ | character_set_client | utf8 | | character_set_connection | utf8 | | character_set_database | utf8 | | character_set_filesystem | binary | | character_set_results | utf8 | | character_set_server | latin1 | | character_set_system | utf8 | +--------------------------+--------+ 7 rows in set (0.00 sec) mysql> update products set description = "(non-Latin1 characters that pastebin doesn't like)" where id = 49; ** (query hangs indefinitely here) Other connection: mysql> show full processlist; +----+--------+-----------+---------------------+---------+------+----------+----------------------------------------------------------+ | Id | User | Host | db | Command | Time | State | Info | +----+--------+-----------+---------------------+---------+------+----------+----------------------------------------------------------+ | 2 | deploy | localhost | ******************* | Sleep | 1435 | NULL | NULL | | 6 | deploy | localhost | ******************* | Query | 34 | Updating | update products set description = "??????" where id = 49 | | 7 | deploy | localhost | ******************* | Query | 0 | NULL | show full processlist | +----+--------+-----------+---------------------+---------+------+----------+----------------------------------------------------------+