diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 5a9012dffd3..49bf7b56dda 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ answer newbie questions, and generally made Django that much better:
     Espen Grindhaug <http://grindhaug.org/>
     Gustavo Picon
     Brant Harris
+    hipertracker@gmail.com
     Ian Holsman <http://feh.holsman.net/>
     Kieran Holland <http://www.kieranholland.com>
     Robert Rock Howard <http://djangomojo.com/>
diff --git a/django/core/db/backends/mysql.py b/django/core/db/backends/mysql.py
index 629ea8d71fb..84fe416f647 100644
--- a/django/core/db/backends/mysql.py
+++ b/django/core/db/backends/mysql.py
@@ -65,9 +65,12 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
             if DATABASE_PORT:
                 kwargs['port'] = DATABASE_PORT
             self.connection = Database.connect(**kwargs)
+        cursor = self.connection.cursor()
+        if self.connection.get_server_info() >= '4.1':
+            cursor.execute("SET NAMES utf8")
         if DEBUG:
-            return base.CursorDebugWrapper(MysqlDebugWrapper(self.connection.cursor()), self)
-        return self.connection.cursor()
+            return base.CursorDebugWrapper(MysqlDebugWrapper(cursor), self)
+        return cursor
 
     def commit(self):
         self.connection.commit()