diff --git a/application/errors/error_404.php b/application/errors/error_404.php
index 792726a..bddee6c 100644
--- a/application/errors/error_404.php
+++ b/application/errors/error_404.php
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html>
 <html lang="en">
 <head>
+<meta charset="utf-8">
 <title>404 Page Not Found</title>
 <style type="text/css">
 
diff --git a/application/errors/error_db.php b/application/errors/error_db.php
index b396cda..bc7c447 100644
--- a/application/errors/error_db.php
+++ b/application/errors/error_db.php
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html>
 <html lang="en">
 <head>
+<meta charset="utf-8">
 <title>Database Error</title>
 <style type="text/css">
 
diff --git a/application/errors/error_general.php b/application/errors/error_general.php
index fd63ce2..8b37462 100644
--- a/application/errors/error_general.php
+++ b/application/errors/error_general.php
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html>
 <html lang="en">
 <head>
+<meta charset="utf-8">
 <title>Error</title>
 <style type="text/css">
 
diff --git a/system/core/CodeIgniter.php b/system/core/CodeIgniter.php
index aca4fb2..9f88384 100755
--- a/system/core/CodeIgniter.php
+++ b/system/core/CodeIgniter.php
@@ -33,28 +33,8 @@
  * @var string
  *
  */
-	/**
-	 * CodeIgniter Version
-	 *
-	 * @var string
-	 *
-	 */
 	define('CI_VERSION', '2.1.0-dev');
 
-/**
- * CodeIgniter Branch (Core = TRUE, Reactor = FALSE)
- *
- * @var boolean
- *
- */
-	/**
-	 * CodeIgniter Branch (Core = TRUE, Reactor = FALSE)
-	 *
-	 * @var string
-	 *
-	 */
-	define('CI_CORE', FALSE);
-
 /*
  * ------------------------------------------------------
  *  Load the global functions
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php
index f87cfea..dc020c6 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 
 	// whether SET NAMES must be used to set the character set
 	var $use_set_names;
-	
+
 	/**
 	 * Non-persistent database connection
 	 *
@@ -135,20 +135,9 @@
 	 */
 	function db_set_charset($charset, $collation)
 	{
-		if ( ! isset($this->use_set_names))
-		{
-			// mysql_set_charset() requires PHP >= 5.2.3 and MySQL >= 5.0.7, use SET NAMES as fallback
-			$this->use_set_names = (version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.2.3', '>=') && version_compare(mysql_get_server_info(), '5.0.7', '>=')) ? FALSE : TRUE;
-		}
-
-		if ($this->use_set_names === TRUE)
-		{
-			return @mysql_query("SET NAMES '".$this->escape_str($charset)."' COLLATE '".$this->escape_str($collation)."'", $this->conn_id);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			return @mysql_set_charset($charset, $this->conn_id);
-		}
+		return function_exists('mysql_set_charset')
+			? @mysql_set_charset($charset, $this->conn_id)
+			: @mysql_query("SET NAMES '".$this->escape_str($charset)."' COLLATE '".$this->escape_str($collation)."'", $this->conn_id);
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
index ccd110f..abef80f 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 
 	// whether SET NAMES must be used to set the character set
 	var $use_set_names;
-	
+
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**
@@ -135,20 +135,9 @@
 	 */
 	function _db_set_charset($charset, $collation)
 	{
-		if ( ! isset($this->use_set_names))
-		{
-			// mysqli_set_charset() requires MySQL >= 5.0.7, use SET NAMES as fallback
-			$this->use_set_names = (version_compare(mysqli_get_server_info($this->conn_id), '5.0.7', '>=')) ? FALSE : TRUE;
-		}
-
-		if ($this->use_set_names === TRUE)
-		{
-			return @mysqli_query($this->conn_id, "SET NAMES '".$this->escape_str($charset)."' COLLATE '".$this->escape_str($collation)."'");
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			return @mysqli_set_charset($this->conn_id, $charset);
-		}
+		return function_exists('mysqli_set_charset')
+			? @mysqli_set_charset($this->conn_id, $charset)
+			: @mysqli_query($this->conn_id, "SET NAMES '".$this->escape_str($charset)."' COLLATE '".$this->escape_str($collation)."'");
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -570,7 +559,7 @@
 	{
 		return "INSERT INTO ".$table." (".implode(', ', $keys).") VALUES ".implode(', ', $values);
 	}
-	
+
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**
diff --git a/user_guide/changelog.html b/user_guide/changelog.html
index 671aa96..881d464 100644
--- a/user_guide/changelog.html
+++ b/user_guide/changelog.html
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@
 	<li>Core
 		<ul>
 			<li>Changed private functions in CI_URI to protected so MY_URI can override them.</li>
+			<li>Removed CI_CORE boolean constant from CodeIgniter.php (no longer Reactor and Core versions).</li>
 		</ul>
 	</li>
 </ul>