diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/pgsql/Install/Tasks.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/pgsql/Install/Tasks.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/pgsql/Install/Tasks.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/pgsql/Install/Tasks.php
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@
   /**
    * Check standard_conforming_strings setting.
    *
-   * @todo
+   * @todo explain why we want this on.
    */
   function checkStandardConformingStrings() {
     $database_connection = Database::getConnection();
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
       // code is only called when a connection to the database is already
       // established, thus the database name is guaranteed to be a correct
       // value.
-      $query = "ALTER DATABASE \"" . $connection_options['database'] . "\" SET standard_conforming_strings = 'off';";
+      $query = "ALTER DATABASE \"" . $connection_options['database'] . "\" SET standard_conforming_strings = 'on';";
       try {
         db_query($query);
       }
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@
       if (!$this->checkStandardConformingStringsSuccess()) {
         $replacements = array(
           '%setting' => 'standard_conforming_strings',
-          '%current_value' => 'on',
-          '%needed_value' => 'off',
+          '%current_value' => 'off',
+          '%needed_value' => 'on',
           '!query' => "<code>" . $query . "</code>",
         );
         $this->fail(t("The %setting setting is currently set to '%current_value', but needs to be '%needed_value'. Change this by running the following query: !query", $replacements));
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
    */
   protected function checkStandardConformingStringsSuccess() {
     $standard_conforming_strings = db_query("SHOW standard_conforming_strings")->fetchField();
-    return ($standard_conforming_strings == 'off');
+    return ($standard_conforming_strings == 'on');
   }
 
   /**