diff --git a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/077_convert_to_utf8.py b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/077_convert_to_utf8.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a702b381ff5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/077_convert_to_utf8.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
+
+# Copyright 2012 OpenStack LLC.
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+from sqlalchemy import MetaData
+
+meta = MetaData()
+
+
+def upgrade(migrate_engine):
+    meta.bind = migrate_engine
+
+    # NOTE (ironcamel): The only table we are not converting to utf8 here is
+    # dns_domains. This table has a primary key that is 512 characters wide.
+    # When the mysql engine attempts to convert it to utf8, it complains about
+    # not supporting key columns larger than 1000.
+
+    if migrate_engine.name == "mysql":
+        # The instances table has to be converted early on. Also, the
+        # foreign_key_checks has to be disabled inside of the execute command
+        # that converts the instances table.
+        migrate_engine.execute("SET foreign_key_checks = 0;"
+            "ALTER TABLE instances CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8")
+        tables = ["agent_builds", "aggregate_hosts", "aggregate_metadata",
+            "aggregates", "auth_tokens", "block_device_mapping",
+            "bw_usage_cache", "certificates", "compute_nodes", "console_pools",
+            "consoles", "fixed_ips", "floating_ips", "instance_actions",
+            "instance_faults", "instance_info_caches", "instance_metadata",
+            "instance_type_extra_specs", "instance_types", "iscsi_targets",
+            "key_pairs", "migrate_version", "migrations", "networks",
+            "projects", "provider_fw_rules", "quotas", "s3_images",
+            "security_group_instance_association", "security_group_rules",
+            "security_groups", "services", "sm_backend_config", "sm_flavors",
+            "sm_volume", "snapshots", "snapshots", "user_project_association",
+            "user_project_role_association", "user_role_association", "users",
+            "virtual_interfaces", "virtual_storage_arrays", "volume_metadata",
+            "volumes", "volume_type_extra_specs", "volume_types", "zones"]
+        for table in tables:
+            migrate_engine.execute(
+                "ALTER TABLE %s CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8" % table)
+        migrate_engine.execute("SET foreign_key_checks = 1")
+        migrate_engine.execute(
+            "ALTER DATABASE nova DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8")
+
+
+def downgrade(migrate_engine):
+    # utf8 tables should be backwards compatible, so lets leave it alone
+    pass