diff --git a/freepost/__init__.py b/freepost/__init__.py
index 01b2c0c..d30ca8e 100755
--- a/freepost/__init__.py
+++ b/freepost/__init__.py
@@ -183,8 +183,8 @@ def login_check ():
     Check login form.
     """
     
-    username = request.forms.get ('username')
-    password = request.forms.get ('password')
+    username = request.forms.getunicode ('username')
+    password = request.forms.getunicode ('password')
     remember = 'remember' in request.forms
     
     if not username or not password:
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ def register_new_account ():
     Check form for creating new account.
     """
     
-    username = request.forms.get ('username')
-    password = request.forms.get ('password')
+    username = request.forms.getunicode ('username')
+    password = request.forms.getunicode ('password')
     
     # Normalize username
     username = username.strip ()
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ def password_reset_send_code ():
     code via email.
     """
     
-    username = request.forms.get ('username')
-    email = request.forms.get ('email')
+    username = request.forms.getunicode ('username')
+    email = request.forms.getunicode ('email')
     
     if not username or not email:
         redirect (application.get_url ('change_password'))
@@ -348,10 +348,10 @@ def validate_new_password ():
     is OK change the user password.
     """
     
-    username     = request.forms.get ('username')
-    email        = request.forms.get ('email')
-    password     = request.forms.get ('password')
-    secret_token = request.forms.get ('token')
+    username     = request.forms.getunicode ('username')
+    email        = request.forms.getunicode ('email')
+    password     = request.forms.getunicode ('password')
+    secret_token = request.forms.getunicode ('token')
     
     # We must have all fields
     if not username or not email or not password or not secret_token:
@@ -404,8 +404,8 @@ def update_user_settings ():
     
     user = session.user ()
     
-    about = request.forms.get ('about')
-    email = request.forms.get ('email')
+    about = request.forms.getunicode ('about')
+    email = request.forms.getunicode ('email')
     
     if about is None or email is None:
         redirect (application.get_url ('user_settings'))
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ def new_comment (hash_id):
     user = session.user ()
     
     # The comment text
-    comment = request.forms.get ('new_comment').strip ()
+    comment = request.forms.getunicode ('new_comment').strip ()
     
     # Empty comment
     if len (comment) == 0:
@@ -548,10 +548,10 @@ def edit_post_check (hash_id):
         redirect (application.get_url ('homepage'))
     
     # MUST have a title. If empty, use original title
-    title = request.forms.get ('title').strip ()
+    title = request.forms.getunicode ('title').strip ()
     if len (title) == 0: title = post['title']
-    link  = request.forms.get ('link').strip () if 'link' in request.forms else ''
-    text  = request.forms.get ('text').strip () if 'text' in request.forms else ''
+    link  = request.forms.getunicode ('link').strip () if 'link' in request.forms else ''
+    text  = request.forms.getunicode ('text').strip () if 'text' in request.forms else ''
     
     # If there is a URL, make sure it has a "scheme"
     if len (link) > 0 and urlparse (link).scheme == '':
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ def edit_comment_check (hash_id):
     if comment['userId'] != user['id']:
         redirect (application.get_url ('homepage'))
     
-    text = request.forms.get ('text').strip () if 'text' in request.forms else ''
+    text = request.forms.getunicode ('text').strip () if 'text' in request.forms else ''
     
     # Only update if the text is not empty
     if len (text) > 0:
@@ -609,30 +609,30 @@ def submit_check ():
     """
     
     # Somebody sent a <form> without a title???
-    if not request.forms.get ('title'):
+    if not request.forms.getunicode ('title'):
         abort ()
     
     user = session.user ()
     
     # Retrieve title
-    title = request.forms.get ('title').strip ()
+    title = request.forms.getunicode ('title').strip ()
     
     # Bad title?
     if len (title) == 0:
         return template ('submit.html', flash='Title is missing.')
     
     # Retrieve link
-    link = request.forms.get ('link').strip ()
+    link = request.forms.getunicode ('link').strip ()
     
     # If there is a URL, make sure it has a "scheme"
     if len (link) > 0 and urlparse (link).scheme == '':
         link = 'http://' + link
     
     # Retrieve topics
-    topics = request.forms.get ('topics')
+    topics = request.forms.getunicode ('topics')
     
     # Retrieve text
-    text = request.forms.get ('text')
+    text = request.forms.getunicode ('text')
     
     # Add the new post
     post_hash_id = database.new_post (title, link, text, user['id'])
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ def reply_check (hash_id):
     comment = database.get_comment (hash_id)
     
     # The text of the reply
-    text = request.forms.get ('text').strip ()
+    text = request.forms.getunicode ('text').strip ()
     
     # Empty comment. Redirect to parent post
     if len (text) == 0:
@@ -699,15 +699,15 @@ def vote ():
     user = session.user ()
     
     # Vote a post
-    if request.forms.get ('target') == 'post':
+    if request.forms.getunicode ('target') == 'post':
         # Retrieve the post
-        post = database.get_post (request.forms.get ('post'), user['id'])
+        post = database.get_post (request.forms.getunicode ('post'), user['id'])
         
         if not post:
             return
         
         # If user clicked the "upvote" button...
-        if request.forms.get ('updown') == 'up':
+        if request.forms.getunicode ('updown') == 'up':
             # If user has upvoted this post before...
             if post['user_vote'] == 1:
                 # Remove +1
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ def vote ():
                 database.vote_post (post['id'], user['id'], +1)
         
         # If user clicked the "downvote" button...
-        if request.forms.get ('updown') == 'down':
+        if request.forms.getunicode ('updown') == 'down':
             # If user has downvoted this post before...
             if post['user_vote'] == -1:
                 # Remove -1
@@ -737,15 +737,15 @@ def vote ():
                 database.vote_post (post['id'], user['id'], -1)
     
     # Vote a comment
-    if request.forms.get ('target') == 'comment':
+    if request.forms.getunicode ('target') == 'comment':
         # Retrieve the comment
-        comment = database.get_comment (request.forms.get ('comment'), user['id'])
+        comment = database.get_comment (request.forms.getunicode ('comment'), user['id'])
         
         if not comment:
             return
         
         # If user clicked the "upvote" button...
-        if request.forms.get ('updown') == 'up':
+        if request.forms.getunicode ('updown') == 'up':
             # If user has upvoted this comment before...
             if comment['user_vote'] == 1:
                 # Remove +1
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ def vote ():
                 database.vote_comment (comment['id'], user['id'], +1)
         
         # If user clicked the "downvote" button...
-        if request.forms.get ('updown') == 'down':
+        if request.forms.getunicode ('updown') == 'down':
             # If user has downvoted this comment before...
             if comment['user_vote'] == -1:
                 # Remove -1
@@ -781,10 +781,10 @@ def search ():
     """
     
     # Get the search query
-    query = request.query.get ('q')
+    query = request.query.getunicode ('q')
     
     # Get the offset
-    page = int (request.query.get ('page') or 0)
+    page = int (request.query.getunicode ('page') or 0)
     
     if page < 0:
         return "Page cannot be less than zero."
@@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ def search ():
         page -= 1
     
     # Results order
-    sort = request.query.get ('sort')
+    sort = request.query.getunicode ('sort')
     if sort not in [ 'newest', 'points' ]:
         sort = 'newest'
     
diff --git a/freepost/database.py b/freepost/database.py
index ed49217..64aeb1a 100644
--- a/freepost/database.py
+++ b/freepost/database.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ db = MySQLdb.connect (
     host       = settings['mysql']['host'],
     port       = settings['mysql']['port'],
     db         = settings['mysql']['schema'],
+    charset    = settings['mysql']['charset'],
     user       = settings['mysql']['username'],
     passwd     = settings['mysql']['password'],
     autocommit = True)