diff --git a/include/mysql_thread.h b/include/mysql_thread.h
index d5fe0ba85..e85ec6e53 100644
--- a/include/mysql_thread.h
+++ b/include/mysql_thread.h
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ class Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler: public MySQL_Threads_Handler
 		char *connect_timeout_server_error;
 		char *default_schema;
 		char *server_version;
+		uint8_t default_charset;
 		bool servers_stats;
 #ifdef DEBUG
 		bool session_debug;
@@ -297,6 +298,7 @@ class Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler: public MySQL_Threads_Handler
 	virtual void commit();
 
 	char *get_variable_string(char *name);
+	uint8_t get_variable_uint8(char *name);
 	uint16_t get_variable_uint16(char *name);
 	int get_variable_int(char *name);
 	virtual char * get_variable(char *name); // this is the public function, accessible from admin
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index d3a4c728a..7a62ea429 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ __thread int mysql_thread___ping_timeout_server;
 __thread int mysql_thread___connect_timeout_server;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___connect_timeout_server_error;
 __thread uint16_t mysql_thread___server_capabilities;
+__thread uint8_t mysql_thread___default_charset;
 __thread int mysql_thread___poll_timeout;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___servers_stats;
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -635,6 +636,7 @@ extern __thread int mysql_thread___ping_timeout_server;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___connect_timeout_server;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___connect_timeout_server_error;
 extern __thread uint16_t mysql_thread___server_capabilities;
+extern __thread uint8_t mysql_thread___default_charset;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___poll_timeout;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___servers_stats;
 #ifdef DEBUG
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
index 9fd9a5663..19ebeddd2 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ int MySQL_Protocol::parse_mysql_pkt(PtrSize_t *PS_entry, MySQL_Data_Stream *__my
 
 static unsigned char protocol_version=10;
 //static uint16_t server_capabilities=CLIENT_FOUND_ROWS | CLIENT_PROTOCOL_41 | CLIENT_IGNORE_SIGPIPE | CLIENT_TRANSACTIONS | CLIENT_SECURE_CONNECTION | CLIENT_CONNECT_WITH_DB | CLIENT_SSL;
-static uint8_t server_language=33;
+//static uint8_t server_language=33;
 static uint16_t server_status=1;
 //static char *mysql_server_version = (char *)"5.1.30";
 
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ bool MySQL_Protocol::generate_pkt_initial_handshake(bool send, void **ptr, unsig
     //+ sizeof(glovars.server_language)
     //+ sizeof(glovars.server_status)
     + sizeof(mysql_thread___server_capabilities)
-    + sizeof(server_language)
+    + sizeof(mysql_thread___default_charset)
     + sizeof(server_status)
     + 3 // unknown stuff
     + 10 // filler
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ bool MySQL_Protocol::generate_pkt_initial_handshake(bool send, void **ptr, unsig
   memcpy(_ptr+l, (*myds)->myconn->scramble_buff+0, 8); l+=8;
   _ptr[l]=0x00; l+=1; //0x00
   memcpy(_ptr+l,&mysql_thread___server_capabilities, sizeof(mysql_thread___server_capabilities)); l+=sizeof(mysql_thread___server_capabilities);
-  memcpy(_ptr+l,&server_language, sizeof(server_language)); l+=sizeof(server_language);
+  memcpy(_ptr+l,&mysql_thread___default_charset, sizeof(mysql_thread___default_charset)); l+=sizeof(mysql_thread___default_charset);
   memcpy(_ptr+l,&server_status, sizeof(server_status)); l+=sizeof(server_status);
   memcpy(_ptr+l,"\x0f\x80\x15",3); l+=3;
   for (i=0;i<10; i++) { _ptr[l]=0x00; l++; } //filler
diff --git a/lib/Standard_MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/Standard_MySQL_Thread.cpp
index 77a7a4aef..69dabbc1d 100644
--- a/lib/Standard_MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/Standard_MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ volatile static unsigned int __global_MySQL_Thread_Variables_version;
 static char * mysql_thread_variables_names[]= {
 	(char *)"connect_timeout_server",
 	(char *)"connect_timeout_server_error",
+	(char *)"default_charset",
 	(char *)"ping_interval_server",
 	(char *)"ping_timeout_server",
 	(char *)"default_schema",
@@ -274,6 +275,7 @@ Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler::Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	variables.ping_timeout_server=100;
 	variables.connect_timeout_server_error=strdup((char *)"#2003:Can't connect to MySQL server");
 	variables.default_schema=strdup((char *)"information_schema");
+	variables.default_charset=33;
 	variables.server_version=strdup((char *)"5.1.30");
 	variables.server_capabilities=CLIENT_FOUND_ROWS | CLIENT_PROTOCOL_41 | CLIENT_IGNORE_SIGPIPE | CLIENT_TRANSACTIONS | CLIENT_SECURE_CONNECTION | CLIENT_CONNECT_WITH_DB | CLIENT_SSL;
 	variables.poll_timeout=2000;
@@ -311,6 +313,12 @@ uint16_t Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_uint16(char *name) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
+uint8_t Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_uint8(char *name) {
+	if (!strcmp(name,"default_charset")) return variables.default_charset;
+	proxy_error("Not existing variable: %s\n", name); assert(0);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_int(char *name) {
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	if (!strcmp(name,"session_debug")) return (int)variables.session_debug;
@@ -336,6 +344,10 @@ char * Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable(char *name) {	// this is the
 		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.server_capabilities);
 		return strdup(intbuf);
 	}
+	if (!strcmp(name,"default_charset")) {
+		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.default_charset);
+		return strdup(intbuf);
+	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"connect_timeout_server")) {
 		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.connect_timeout_server);
 		return strdup(intbuf);
@@ -447,10 +459,19 @@ bool Standard_MySQL_Threads_Handler::set_variable(char *name, char *value) {	//
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
-	if (!strcmp(name,"server_capabilities")) {
+	if (!strcmp(name,"poll_timeout")) {
+		int intv=atoi(value);
+		if (intv > 10 && intv < 20000) {
+			variables.poll_timeout=intv;
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+	if (!strcmp(name,"default_charset")) {
 		int intv=atoi(value);
-		if (intv > 0) {
-			variables.server_capabilities=intv;
+		if (intv > 0 && intv < 256) {
+			variables.default_charset=intv;
 			return true;
 		} else {
 			return false;
@@ -1005,6 +1026,7 @@ void Standard_MySQL_Thread::refresh_variables() {
 	if (mysql_thread___default_schema) free(mysql_thread___default_schema);
 	mysql_thread___default_schema=GloMTH->get_variable_string((char *)"default_schema");
 	mysql_thread___server_capabilities=GloMTH->get_variable_uint16((char *)"server_capabilities");
+	mysql_thread___default_charset=GloMTH->get_variable_uint8((char *)"default_charset");
 	mysql_thread___poll_timeout=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"poll_timeout");
 	mysql_thread___servers_stats=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"servers_stats");
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -1154,7 +1176,7 @@ SQLite3_result * Standard_MySQL_Thread::SQL3_Thread_status(MySQL_Session *sess)
 
 	status_str+="\ndefault_schema : "; status_str.append(mysql_thread___default_schema);
 	status_str+="\nserver_version : "; status_str.append(mysql_thread___server_version);
-	sprintf(buf,"\ncapabilities   : %d\npoll_timeout   : %d\n", mysql_thread___server_capabilities, mysql_thread___poll_timeout);
+	sprintf(buf,"\ncapabilities   : %d\npoll_timeout   : %d\ncharset        : %d\n", mysql_thread___server_capabilities, mysql_thread___poll_timeout, mysql_thread___default_charset);
 	status_str.append(buf);
 	status_str+= "\n";