diff --git a/.github/workflows/github_action_test_suite.yml b/.github/workflows/github_action_test_suite.yml
index 27cfa9be9f..39f8b82495 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/github_action_test_suite.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/github_action_test_suite.yml
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Copy custom MySQL option file 
+      - name: Set MySQL custom options
         if: ${{ matrix.TESTING_DB == 'mysql' }}
         run: |
           sudo cp ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf /etc/mysql/custom.cnf
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf b/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf
index 69175ab0da..7950cd69af 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf
+++ b/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 [mysqld] 
-character-set-server = utf8mb4 
-collation-server = utf9mb4_unicode_ci 
+character-set-server = utf8
+collation-server = utf8_general_ci
 
 [mysql]
-default-character-set = utf8mb4
+default-character-set = utf8
 
 [client]
-default-character-set = utf8mb4
+default-character-set = utf8
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py b/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py
index 975e490c1b..16fdb74b9e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py
+++ b/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ DATABASES = {
         "PORT": os.environ.get("MYSQL_PORT", "3306"),
         "OPTIONS": {
              "charset": "utf8mb4",
-  #          "init_command": "set collation_connection=utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
+             "init_command": "set collation_connection=utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
          },
 #         "TEST": {
 #             "NAME": "evennia",