diff --git a/include/MySQL_Variables.h b/include/MySQL_Variables.h
index 9e5fdef28..76c8b93b9 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Variables.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Variables.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public:
 	virtual ~MySQL_Variables();
 
 	bool client_set_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx, const std::string& value);
+	bool client_set_hash_and_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx, const std::string& value, uint32_t hash);
 	const char* client_get_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx) const;
 	uint32_t client_get_hash(MySQL_Session* session, int idx) const;
 
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp
index 22eaae76a..f714d64e4 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Variables.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,15 @@ bool MySQL_Variables::on_connect_to_backend(MySQL_Session* session) {
 	return true;
 }
 
+
+bool MySQL_Variables::client_set_hash_and_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx, const std::string& value, uint32_t hash) {
+	session->client_myds->myconn->var_hash[idx] = hash;
+	if (session->client_myds->myconn->variables[idx].value) {
+		free(session->client_myds->myconn->variables[idx].value);
+	}
+	session->client_myds->myconn->variables[idx].value = strdup(value.c_str());
+}
+
 bool MySQL_Variables::client_set_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx, const std::string& value) {
 	if (!session || !session->client_myds || !session->client_myds->myconn) {
 		proxy_warning("Session validation failed\n");
@@ -74,17 +83,17 @@ bool MySQL_Variables::client_set_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx, const st
 		// SET NAMES command from client
 		if (value == "1") {
 			if (mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET)) {
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CONNECTION, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_COLLATION_CONNECTION, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
+				mysql_variables.client_set_hash_and_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET), mysql_variables.client_get_hash(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
+				mysql_variables.client_set_hash_and_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET), mysql_variables.client_get_hash(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
+				mysql_variables.client_set_hash_and_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CONNECTION, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET), mysql_variables.client_get_hash(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
+				mysql_variables.client_set_hash_and_value(session, SQL_COLLATION_CONNECTION, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET), mysql_variables.client_get_hash(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
 			}
 		}
 		// SET CHARSET command from client
 		else if (value == "2") {
 			if (mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET)) {
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
+				mysql_variables.client_set_hash_and_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET), mysql_variables.client_get_hash(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
+				mysql_variables.client_set_hash_and_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT, mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET), mysql_variables.client_get_hash(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
 			}
 			if (mysql_variables.client_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_DATABASE)) {
 				const MARIADB_CHARSET_INFO *ci = NULL;
@@ -105,15 +114,6 @@ bool MySQL_Variables::client_set_value(MySQL_Session* session, int idx, const st
 				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_COLLATION_CONNECTION, ss.str());
 			}
 		}
-		// SET NAMES during handshake etc.
-		else if (value == "3") {
-			if (mysql_variables.server_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET)) {
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS, mysql_variables.server_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT, mysql_variables.server_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CONNECTION, mysql_variables.server_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-				mysql_variables.client_set_value(session, SQL_COLLATION_CONNECTION, mysql_variables.server_get_value(session, SQL_CHARACTER_SET));
-			}
-		}
 	}
 
 	session->client_myds->myconn->var_hash[idx] = SpookyHash::Hash32(value.c_str(),strlen(value.c_str()),10);
diff --git a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
index d23b93ee8..e50e4d11e 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
@@ -611,7 +611,19 @@ void MySQL_Connection::connect_start() {
 		proxy_error("Not existing charset number %s\n", mysql_thread___default_variables[SQL_CHARACTER_SET]);
 		assert(0);
 	}
-	set_charset(c->nr, CONNECT_START);
+	{
+		/* We are connecting to backend setting charset in mysql_options.
+		 * Client already has sent us a character set and client connection variables have been already set.
+		 * Now we store this charset in server connection variables to avoid updating this variables on backend.
+		 */
+		std::stringstream ss;
+		ss << c->nr;
+
+		mysql_variables.server_set_value(myds->sess, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS, ss.str().c_str());
+		mysql_variables.server_set_value(myds->sess, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT, ss.str().c_str());
+		mysql_variables.server_set_value(myds->sess, SQL_CHARACTER_SET_CONNECTION, ss.str().c_str());
+		mysql_variables.server_set_value(myds->sess, SQL_COLLATION_CONNECTION, ss.str().c_str());
+	}
 	mysql_options(mysql, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, c->csname);
 	unsigned long client_flags = 0;
 	//if (mysql_thread___client_found_rows)