diff --git a/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf b/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf
index 7950cd69af..78711ebd9b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf
+++ b/.github/workflows/mysql_options.cnf
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 [mysqld] 
-character-set-server = utf8
-collation-server = utf8_general_ci
+character-set-server = utf8mb4
+collation-server = utf8mb4_unicode_ci
+innodb_large_prefix = 1
+innodb_file_format = Barracuda 
+innodb_file_per_table = 1
 
 [mysql]
-default-character-set = utf8
+default-character-set = utf8mb4
 
 [client]
-default-character-set = utf8
+default-character-set = utf8mb4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py b/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py
index 3ffc8f1b7e..7ffa74c347 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py
+++ b/.github/workflows/mysql_settings.py
@@ -47,14 +47,14 @@ DATABASES = {
         "HOST": os.environ.get("MYSQL_HOST", "127.0.0.1"),
         "PORT": os.environ.get("MYSQL_PORT", "3306"),
         "OPTIONS": {
-             "charset": "utf8", #"utf8mb4",
-             "init_command": "set collation_connection=utf8_unicode_ci",
+             "charset": "utf8mb4",
+             "init_command": "set collation_connection=utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
          },
         "TEST": {
             "NAME": "evennia",
             "OPTIONS": {
-                "charset": "utf8", # "utf8mb4",
-                "init_command": "set collation_connection=utf8_unicode_ci",
+                "charset": "utf8mb4",
+                "init_command": "set collation_connection=utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
             },
         },
     }