diff --git a/includes/database/mysql/database.inc b/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
index 5e7315d..b44bc65 100644
--- a/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
+++ b/includes/database/mysql/database.inc
@@ -19,6 +19,28 @@ class DatabaseConnection_mysql extends DatabaseConnection {
    */
   protected $shutdownRegistered = FALSE;
 
+  /**
+   * Flag to indicate our charset. It can either be utf8 or utf8mb4 (adds
+   * support for 4-byte UTF8 characters). See settings.default.php to learn more
+   * about utf8mb4. This is used in combination with the __get method below to
+   * make charset a read-only property of this object.
+   *
+   * @var string
+   */
+  protected $charset = 'utf8';
+
+  /**
+   * This is used to fetch readonly variables. You can not read the registry
+   * instance reference through here.
+   *
+   * @param string $var
+   * @return string
+   */
+  public function __get($property) {
+    // Only allow access to the charset property.
+    if ($property == 'charset') return $this->$property;
+  }
+
   public function __construct(array $connection_options = array()) {
     // This driver defaults to transaction support, except if explicitly passed FALSE.
     $this->transactionSupport = !isset($connection_options['transactions']) || ($connection_options['transactions'] !== FALSE);
@@ -46,17 +68,16 @@ class DatabaseConnection_mysql extends DatabaseConnection {
       PDO::ATTR_CASE => PDO::CASE_LOWER,
     ));
 
-    // Force MySQL to use the UTF-8 character set. Also set the collation, if a
-    // certain one has been set; otherwise, MySQL defaults to 'utf8_general_ci'
-    // for UTF-8.
-    if (!empty($connection_options['charset'])) $charset = $connection_options['charset'];
-    else $charset = 'utf8';
-    
+    // Default Drupal to use the UTF-8 character set, but allow the use of
+    // utf8mb4 for better internationalization and full 4-byte UTF-8 support if
+    // set. Also set the collation, if a certain one has been set; otherwise,
+    // MySQL defaults to 'utf8_general_ci' for UTF-8.
+    $this->charset = (isset($connection_options['charset']) ? ($connection_options['charset'] == 'utf8mb4' ? 'utf8mb4' : 'utf8') : 'utf8');
     if (!empty($connection_options['collation'])) {
-      $this->exec('SET NAMES '.$charset.' COLLATE ' . $connection_options['collation']);
+      $this->exec('SET NAMES ' . $this->charset . ' COLLATE ' . $connection_options['collation']);
     }
     else {
-      $this->exec('SET NAMES '.$charset);
+      $this->exec('SET NAMES ' . $this->charset);
     }
 
     // Force MySQL's behavior to conform more closely to SQL standards.
diff --git a/includes/database/mysql/install.inc b/includes/database/mysql/install.inc
index 75f2ae3..973a196 100644
--- a/includes/database/mysql/install.inc
+++ b/includes/database/mysql/install.inc
@@ -29,5 +29,22 @@ class DatabaseTasks_mysql extends DatabaseTasks {
   public function minimumVersion() {
     return '5.0.15';
   }
+  
+  /**
+   * Validates settings, specifically the character set.
+   */
+  public function validateDatabaseSettings($database) {
+    // Perform standard validation.
+    $errors = parent::validateDatabaseSettings($database);
+
+    // If we are using utf8mb4 charset, make sure the database supports it.
+    if (isset($database['charset']) && $database['charset'] == 'utf8mb4') {
+      if (!db_query("SHOW CHARACTER SET WHERE Charset = 'utf8mb4'")->rowCount()) {
+        $errors['mysql_charset'] = st('Your database does not support the utf8mb4 character set');
+      }
+    }
+
+    return $errors;
+  }
 }
 
diff --git a/includes/database/mysql/schema.inc b/includes/database/mysql/schema.inc
index 4e88fa1..f372f77 100644
--- a/includes/database/mysql/schema.inc
+++ b/includes/database/mysql/schema.inc
@@ -141,7 +141,13 @@ class DatabaseSchema_mysql extends DatabaseSchema {
     if (!empty($spec['unsigned'])) {
       $sql .= ' unsigned';
     }
-
+    
+    // If it's a text field, check to see if we should use utf8mb4 (4-byte UTF8)
+    // as the character set.
+    if (in_array($spec['mysql_type'], array('TINYTEXT', 'MEDIUMTEXT', 'LONGTEXT', 'TEXT')) && Database::getConnection()->charset == 'utf8mb4') {
+      $sql .= ' CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci';
+    }
+    
     if (isset($spec['not null'])) {
       if ($spec['not null']) {
         $sql .= ' NOT NULL';