Index: src/libs/zbxdb/db.c
===================================================================
--- src/libs/zbxdb/db.c	(revision 59440)
+++ src/libs/zbxdb/db.c	(revision 59441)
@@ -402,6 +402,10 @@
 	if (0 != mysql_options(conn, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT, &mysql_reconnect))
 		zabbix_log(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, "Cannot set MySQL reconnect option.");
 
+	/* in contrast to "set names utf8" results of this call will survive auto-reconnects */
+	if (0 != mysql_set_character_set(conn, "utf8"))
+		zabbix_log(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, "cannot set MySQL character set to \"utf8\"");
+
 	if (ZBX_DB_OK == ret && 0 != mysql_select_db(conn, dbname))
 	{
 		zabbix_errlog(ERR_Z3001, dbname, mysql_errno(conn), mysql_error(conn));
@@ -411,12 +415,6 @@
 	if (ZBX_DB_FAIL == ret && SUCCEED == is_recoverable_mysql_error())
 		ret = ZBX_DB_DOWN;
 
-	if (ZBX_DB_OK == ret)
-	{
-		if (0 < (ret = zbx_db_execute("%s", "set names utf8")))
-			ret = ZBX_DB_OK;
-	}
-
 #elif defined(HAVE_ORACLE)
 #if defined(HAVE_GETENV) && defined(HAVE_PUTENV)
 	if (NULL == getenv("NLS_LANG"))