diff --git includes/database/mysql/schema.inc includes/database/mysql/schema.inc
index 01933da..2071d6d 100644
--- includes/database/mysql/schema.inc
+++ includes/database/mysql/schema.inc
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ class DatabaseSchema_mysql extends DatabaseSchema {
 
     if (in_array($spec['mysql_type'], array('VARCHAR', 'CHAR', 'TINYTEXT', 'MEDIUMTEXT', 'LONGTEXT', 'TEXT')) && isset($spec['length'])) {
       $sql .= '(' . $spec['length'] . ')';
+      if (!empty($spec['binary'])) {
+        $sql .= ' BINARY';
+      }
     }
     elseif (isset($spec['precision']) && isset($spec['scale'])) {
       $sql .= '(' . $spec['precision'] . ', ' . $spec['scale'] . ')';
diff --git includes/database/schema.inc includes/database/schema.inc
index e57c94b..09c3a6f 100644
--- includes/database/schema.inc
+++ includes/database/schema.inc
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/query.inc';
  *       the precision (total number of significant digits) and scale
  *       (decimal digits right of the decimal point). Both values are
  *       mandatory. Ignored for other field types.
+ *     - 'binary': For type 'char', 'varchar' or 'text' fields on MySQL, forces
+ *       a case-sensitive binary collation. This has no effect on other database
+ *       types for which case sensitivity is already the default behavior.
  *     All parameters apart from 'type' are optional except that type
  *     'numeric' columns must specify 'precision' and 'scale'.
  *  - 'primary key': An array of one or more key column specifiers (see below)
diff --git modules/simpletest/tests/upgrade/drupal-6.upload.database.php modules/simpletest/tests/upgrade/drupal-6.upload.database.php
index 94733ed..e87c089 100644
--- modules/simpletest/tests/upgrade/drupal-6.upload.database.php
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/upgrade/drupal-6.upload.database.php
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@ db_insert('files')->fields(array(
   'status' => '1',
   'timestamp' => '1285708957',
 ))
+// Test upgrading files with the same name but different case.
+->values(array(
+  'fid' => '11',
+  'uid' => '1',
+  'filename' => 'FORUM-STICKY.PNG',
+  'filepath' => 'sites/default/files/FORUM-STICKY.PNG',
+  'filemime' => 'image/png',
+  'filesize' => '329',
+  'status' => '1',
+  'timestamp' => '1285708957',
+))
 ->execute();
 
 db_insert('node')->fields(array(
@@ -236,8 +247,8 @@ db_insert('node_revisions')->fields(array(
   'vid' => '53',
   'uid' => '1',
   'title' => 'node title 40 revision 53',
-  'body' => "Attachments:\r\nforum-hot-new.png\r\nforum-hot.png\r\nforum-sticky.png\r\nforum-new.png",
-  'teaser' => "Attachments:\r\nforum-hot-new.png\r\nforum-hot.png\r\nforum-sticky.png\r\nforum-new.png",
+  'body' => "Attachments:\r\nforum-hot-new.png\r\nforum-hot.png\r\nforum-sticky.png\r\nforum-new.png\r\nFORUM-STICKY.PNG",
+  'teaser' => "Attachments:\r\nforum-hot-new.png\r\nforum-hot.png\r\nforum-sticky.png\r\nforum-new.png\r\nFORUM-STICKY.PNG",
   'log' => '',
   'timestamp' => '1285709012',
   'format' => '1',
@@ -395,4 +406,13 @@ db_insert('upload')->fields(array(
   'list' => '1',
   'weight' => '-1',
 ))
+// Test upgrading files with the same name but different case.
+->values(array(
+  'fid' => '11',
+  'nid' => '40',
+  'vid' => '53',
+  'description' => 'FORUM-STICKY.PNG',
+  'list' => '1',
+  'weight' => '0',
+))
 ->execute();
diff --git modules/system/system.install modules/system/system.install
index eb6d017..c51b17a 100644
--- modules/system/system.install
+++ modules/system/system.install
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ function system_schema() {
         'length' => 255,
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'default' => '',
+        'binary' => TRUE,
       ),
       'filemime' => array(
         'description' => "The file's MIME type.",
@@ -2203,6 +2204,7 @@ function system_update_7034() {
         'length' => 255,
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'default' => '',
+        'binary' => TRUE,
       ),
       'filemime' => array(
         'description' => "The file's MIME type.",
@@ -2973,6 +2975,23 @@ function system_update_7069() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Apply binary collation to the file_managed.uri column.
+ */
+function system_update_7070() {
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'The URI to access the file (either local or remote).',
+    'type' => 'varchar',
+    'length' => 255,
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'default' => '',
+    'binary' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_drop_unique_key('file_managed', 'uri');
+  db_change_field('file_managed', 'uri', 'uri', $spec,
+    array('unique keys' => array('uri' => array('uri'))));
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-6.x-to-7.x"
  * The next series of updates should start at 8000.
  */