diff --git a/app/functions.py b/app/functions.py
index afd140c..cd1ef73 100644
--- a/app/functions.py
+++ b/app/functions.py
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ def generate_output(handle):
 		host = cfg['db_host'],
 		user=cfg['db_user'],
 		passwd=cfg['db_pass'],
-		db=cfg['db_name']
+		db=cfg['db_name'],
+		use_unicode=True,
+		charset="utf8mb4"
 	)
 	# print("Generating post for {}".format(handle))
 	dc = db.cursor(MySQLdb.cursors.DictCursor)
@@ -153,7 +155,9 @@ def make_post(args):
 		host = cfg['db_host'],
 		user=cfg['db_user'],
 		passwd=cfg['db_pass'],
-		db=cfg['db_name']
+		db=cfg['db_name'],
+		use_unicode=True,
+		charset="utf8mb4"
 	)
 	c = db.cursor()
 
@@ -190,7 +194,9 @@ def get_key():
 		host = cfg['db_host'],
 		user=cfg['db_user'],
 		passwd=cfg['db_pass'],
-		db=cfg['db_name']
+		db=cfg['db_name'],
+		use_unicode=True,
+		charset="utf8mb4"
 	)
 
 	dc = db.cursor(MySQLdb.cursors.DictCursor)