diff --git a/src/sql/mysql/MySQL.cpp b/src/sql/mysql/MySQL.cpp
index 9dfc418..6eb0cd9 100644
--- a/src/sql/mysql/MySQL.cpp
+++ b/src/sql/mysql/MySQL.cpp
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ result MySQLManager::connect(const std::string &url) {
 			my_bool reconnect = 1;
 			mysql_options(connection->handle, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT, &reconnect);
 		}
+		mysql_options(connection->handle, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, "utf8");
+		mysql_options(connection->handle, MYSQL_INIT_COMMAND, "SET NAMES utf8");
 
 		auto result = mysql_real_connect(connection->handle, host.c_str(), username.c_str(), password.c_str(), database.c_str(), port, nullptr, 0); //CLIENT_MULTI_RESULTS | CLIENT_MULTI_STATEMENTS
 		if(!result)
@@ -510,9 +512,15 @@ namespace sql::mysql {
 				case MYSQL_TYPE_STRING:
 				case MYSQL_TYPE_BLOB:
 					static ResultBindDescriptor _string = {
-							/* primitive_size */    sizeof(void*) + sizeof(unsigned long*), /* we store the allocated buffer in the primitive types buffer and the length */
-							/* destroy */           [](char*& primitive) { ::free(*(void**) primitive); primitive += sizeof(void*); primitive += sizeof(unsigned long*); },
-							/* create */            [](const MYSQL_FIELD& field, MYSQL_BIND& bind, char*& primitive) {
+							/* we store the allocated buffer in the primitive types buffer and the length */
+							/* primitive_size */ sizeof(void*) + sizeof(unsigned long*),
+
+							/* destroy */ [](char*& primitive) {
+									::free(*(void**) primitive);
+									primitive += sizeof(void*);
+									primitive += sizeof(unsigned long*);
+							},
+							/* create */ [](const MYSQL_FIELD& field, MYSQL_BIND& bind, char*& primitive) {
 								bind.buffer_length = field.max_length > 0 ? field.max_length : min(field.length, 5UL * 1024UL * 1024UL);
 								bind.buffer = malloc(bind.buffer_length);
 								bind.buffer_type = MYSQL_TYPE_BLOB;
@@ -525,7 +533,7 @@ namespace sql::mysql {
 
 								return bind.buffer != nullptr;
 							},
-							/* get_as_string */     [](MYSQL_BIND& bind, std::string& result) {
+							/* get_as_string */ [](MYSQL_BIND& bind, std::string& result) {
 								auto length = bind.length ? *bind.length : bind.length_value;
 								result.reserve(length);
 								result.assign((const char*) bind.buffer, length);
@@ -601,7 +609,7 @@ namespace sql::mysql {
 				return true;
 			}
 
-			logTrace(LOG_GENERAL, "[MYSQL] Allocated {} bytes for response", required_bytes);
+			//logTrace(LOG_GENERAL, "[MYSQL] Allocated {} bytes for response", required_bytes);
 			result.memory = (BindMemory*) malloc(required_bytes);
 			if(!result.memory)
 				return false;
@@ -693,10 +701,12 @@ result MySQLManager::executeCommand(std::shared_ptr<CommandData> _ptr) {
 
 	auto variables = ptr->variables;
 	vector<variable> mapped_variables;
-	if(!sql::mysql::evaluate_sql_query(command, variables, mapped_variables)) return {ptr->sql_command, -1, "Could not map sqlite vars to mysql!"};
+	if(!sql::mysql::evaluate_sql_query(command, variables, mapped_variables))
+		return {ptr->sql_command, -1, "Could not map sqlite vars to mysql!"};
 
 	FreeGuard<BindMemory> bind_parameter_memory{nullptr};
-	if(!sql::mysql::create_bind(bind_parameter_memory.ptr, mapped_variables)) return {ptr->sql_command, -1, "Failed to allocate bind memory!"};
+	if(!sql::mysql::create_bind(bind_parameter_memory.ptr, mapped_variables))
+		return {ptr->sql_command, -1, "Failed to allocate bind memory!"};
 
 	ResultBind bind_result_data{0, nullptr, nullptr};