diff --git a/classes/Database/PDO/Common.php b/classes/Database/PDO/Common.php
index 1cfdc09..0718d05 100644
--- a/classes/Database/PDO/Common.php
+++ b/classes/Database/PDO/Common.php
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class Database_PDO_Common extends Database_Common
 	protected $attributes = array(
 		PDO::ATTR_PERSISTENT   => true,
 		PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE      => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
-		PDO::NULL_EMPTY_STRING => true
+		PDO::NULL_EMPTY_STRING => true,
 	);
 
 	/**
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ class Database_PDO_Common extends Database_Common
 			throw new Exception('Data source name is not defined');
 		}
 
+		if ($this->driver == 'pdo_mysql')
+		{
+			// Resolves "Invalid UTF-8 sequence" issues when encoding as JSON
+			$this->attributes[PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND] = 'SET NAMES utf8';
+		}
+
 		if ($this->driver == 'pdo_pgsql')
 		{
 			// This combats a bug: https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62571&edit=1
diff --git a/jar.php b/jar.php
index a9f56e0..9b26a45d 100755
--- a/jar.php
+++ b/jar.php
@@ -1955,7 +1955,7 @@ class Database_PDO_Common extends Database_Common
 	protected $attributes = array(
 		PDO::ATTR_PERSISTENT   => true,
 		PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE      => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
-		PDO::NULL_EMPTY_STRING => true
+		PDO::NULL_EMPTY_STRING => true,
 	);
 
 	/**
@@ -1971,6 +1971,12 @@ class Database_PDO_Common extends Database_Common
 			throw new Exception('Data source name is not defined');
 		}
 
+		if ($this->driver == 'pdo_mysql')
+		{
+			// Resolves "Invalid UTF-8 sequence" issues when encoding as JSON
+			$this->attributes[PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND] = 'SET NAMES utf8';
+		}
+
 		if ($this->driver == 'pdo_pgsql')
 		{
 			// This combats a bug: https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62571&edit=1