diff --git a/development.ini b/development.ini
--- a/development.ini
+++ b/development.ini
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ logview.pylons.util = #eee
 
 sqlalchemy.url = sqlite:///%(here)s/kallithea.db?timeout=60
 #sqlalchemy.url = postgresql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea
-#sqlalchemy.url = mysql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea?charset=utf8
+#sqlalchemy.url = mysql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea?charset=utf8mb4
 ## Note: the mysql:// prefix should also be used for MariaDB
 
 sqlalchemy.pool_recycle = 3600
diff --git a/docs/contributing.rst b/docs/contributing.rst
--- a/docs/contributing.rst
+++ b/docs/contributing.rst
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ Tests can be run on PostgreSQL like::
 Tests can be run on MariaDB/MySQL like::
 
     echo "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON \`kallithea-test\`.* TO 'kallithea-test'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password'" | sudo -u mysql mysql
-    TEST_DB='mysql://kallithea-test:password@localhost/kallithea-test?charset=utf8' py.test
+    TEST_DB='mysql://kallithea-test:password@localhost/kallithea-test?charset=utf8mb4' py.test
 
 You can also use ``tox`` to run the tests with all supported Python versions.
 
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/template.ini.mako b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/template.ini.mako
--- a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/template.ini.mako
+++ b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/template.ini.mako
@@ -463,9 +463,9 @@ sqlalchemy.url = postgresql://kallithea:
 #sqlalchemy.url = postgresql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea
 %endif
 %if database_engine == 'mysql':
-sqlalchemy.url = mysql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea?charset=utf8
+sqlalchemy.url = mysql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea?charset=utf8mb4
 %else:
-#sqlalchemy.url = mysql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea?charset=utf8
+#sqlalchemy.url = mysql://kallithea:password@localhost/kallithea?charset=utf8mb4
 %endif
 <%text>##</%text> Note: the mysql:// prefix should also be used for MariaDB