diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php
index 8725045..f87cfea 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_driver.php
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@
 	 */
 	function _field_data($table)
 	{
-		return "SELECT * FROM ".$table." LIMIT 1";
+		return "DESCRIBE ".$table;
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_result.php b/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_result.php
index 5073896..2d2905c 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_result.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysql/mysql_result.php
@@ -84,14 +84,19 @@
 	function field_data()
 	{
 		$retval = array();
-		while ($field = mysql_fetch_field($this->result_id))
+		while ($field = mysql_fetch_object($this->result_id))
 		{
+			preg_match('/([a-zA-Z]+)\((\d+)\)/', $field->Type, $matches);
+
+			$type = $matches[1];
+			$length = (int)$matches[2];
+
 			$F				= new stdClass();
-			$F->name		= $field->name;
-			$F->type		= $field->type;
-			$F->default		= $field->def;
-			$F->max_length	= $field->max_length;
-			$F->primary_key = $field->primary_key;
+			$F->name		= $field->Field;
+			$F->type		= $type;
+			$F->default		= $field->Default;
+			$F->max_length	= $length;
+			$F->primary_key = ( $field->Key == 'PRI' ? 1 : 0 );
 
 			$retval[] = $F;
 		}
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
index ddcaff3..ccd110f 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@
 	 */
 	function _field_data($table)
 	{
-		return "SELECT * FROM ".$table." LIMIT 1";
+		return "DESCRIBE ".$table;
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_result.php b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_result.php
index c4d8f5d..ac86305 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_result.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_result.php
@@ -84,21 +84,26 @@
 	function field_data()
 	{
 		$retval = array();
-		while ($field = mysqli_fetch_field($this->result_id))
+		while ($field = mysqli_fetch_object($this->result_id))
 		{
+			preg_match('/([a-zA-Z]+)\((\d+)\)/', $field->Type, $matches);
+
+			$type = $matches[1];
+			$length = (int)$matches[2];
+
 			$F				= new stdClass();
-			$F->name		= $field->name;
-			$F->type		= $field->type;
-			$F->default		= $field->def;
-			$F->max_length	= $field->max_length;
-			$F->primary_key = ($field->flags & MYSQLI_PRI_KEY_FLAG) ? 1 : 0;
+			$F->name		= $field->Field;
+			$F->type		= $type;
+			$F->default		= $field->Default;
+			$F->max_length	= $length;
+			$F->primary_key = ( $field->Key == 'PRI' ? 1 : 0 );
 
 			$retval[] = $F;
 		}
 
 		return $retval;
 	}
-
+	
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**