diff --git a/system/database/drivers/pdo/pdo_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/pdo/pdo_driver.php
index 10ef00c..0c41bff 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/pdo/pdo_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/pdo/pdo_driver.php
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@
 	 */
 	var $_count_string = "SELECT COUNT(*) AS ";
 	var $_random_keyword;
-
+	
+	var $options = array();
 
 	function __construct($params)
 	{
@@ -68,6 +69,9 @@
 		{
 			$this->_like_escape_str = '';
 			$this->_like_escape_chr = '';
+			
+			//Set the charset with the connection options
+			$this->options['PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND'] = "SET NAMES {$this->char_set}";
 		}
 		else if (strpos($this->hostname, 'odbc') !== FALSE)
 		{
@@ -81,6 +85,7 @@
 		}
 		
 		$this->hostname = $this->hostname . ";dbname=".$this->database;
+		
 		$this->trans_enabled = FALSE;
 
 		$this->_random_keyword = ' RND('.time().')'; // database specific random keyword
@@ -94,9 +99,8 @@
 	 */
 	function db_connect()
 	{
-		return new PDO($this->hostname,$this->username,$this->password, array(
-			PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_SILENT
-		));
+		$this->options['PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE'] = PDO::ERRMODE_SILENT;
+		return new PDO($this->hostname,$this->username,$this->password, $this->options);
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------