diff --git a/DataStorage/Database/Connection/MysqlConnection.php b/DataStorage/Database/Connection/MysqlConnection.php
index 5c1b856c9..c1d994b07 100644
--- a/DataStorage/Database/Connection/MysqlConnection.php
+++ b/DataStorage/Database/Connection/MysqlConnection.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ final class MysqlConnection extends ConnectionAbstract
         $this->prefix = $dbdata['prefix'] ?? '';
 
         try {
-            $this->con = new \PDO($this->dbdata['db'] . ':host=' . $this->dbdata['host'] . ':' . $this->dbdata['port'] . ';dbname=' . $this->dbdata['database'] . ';charset=utf8', $this->dbdata['login'], $this->dbdata['password']);
+            $this->con = new \PDO($this->dbdata['db'] . ':host=' . $this->dbdata['host'] . ':' . $this->dbdata['port'] . ';dbname=' . $this->dbdata['database'] . ';charset=utf8mb4', $this->dbdata['login'], $this->dbdata['password']);
             $this->con->setAttribute(\PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES, false);
             $this->con->setAttribute(\PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, \PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
 
diff --git a/DataStorage/Database/Schema/Grammar/MysqlGrammar.php b/DataStorage/Database/Schema/Grammar/MysqlGrammar.php
index 80fb9829e..640829331 100644
--- a/DataStorage/Database/Schema/Grammar/MysqlGrammar.php
+++ b/DataStorage/Database/Schema/Grammar/MysqlGrammar.php
@@ -136,6 +136,6 @@ class MysqlGrammar extends Grammar
      */
     protected function compileCreateTableSettings(BuilderAbstract $query, bool $settings) : string
     {
-        return 'ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1';
+        return 'ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1';
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/DataStorage/Database/DataMapperAbstractTest.php b/tests/DataStorage/Database/DataMapperAbstractTest.php
index ec94d705d..d3df8b55a 100644
--- a/tests/DataStorage/Database/DataMapperAbstractTest.php
+++ b/tests/DataStorage/Database/DataMapperAbstractTest.php
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class DataMapperAbstractTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
                 `test_base_datetime` datetime DEFAULT NULL,
                 `test_base_datetime_null` datetime DEFAULT NULL, /* There was a bug where it returned the current date because new \DateTime(null) === current date which is wrong, we want null as value! */
                 PRIMARY KEY (`test_base_id`)
-            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
+            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
         )->execute();
 
         $GLOBALS['dbpool']->get()->con->prepare(
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class DataMapperAbstractTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
                 `test_belongs_to_one_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
                 `test_belongs_to_one_string` varchar(254) NOT NULL,
                 PRIMARY KEY (`test_belongs_to_one_id`)
-            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
+            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
         )->execute();
 
         $GLOBALS['dbpool']->get()->con->prepare(
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class DataMapperAbstractTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
                 `test_owns_one_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
                 `test_owns_one_string` varchar(254) NOT NULL,
                 PRIMARY KEY (`test_owns_one_id`)
-            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
+            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
         )->execute();
 
         $GLOBALS['dbpool']->get()->con->prepare(
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class DataMapperAbstractTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
                 `test_has_many_direct_string` varchar(254) NOT NULL,
                 `test_has_many_direct_to` int(11) NOT NULL,
                 PRIMARY KEY (`test_has_many_direct_id`)
-            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
+            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
         )->execute();
 
         $GLOBALS['dbpool']->get()->con->prepare(
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class DataMapperAbstractTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
                 `test_has_many_rel_id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
                 `test_has_many_rel_string` varchar(254) NOT NULL,
                 PRIMARY KEY (`test_has_many_rel_id`)
-            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
+            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
         )->execute();
 
         $GLOBALS['dbpool']->get()->con->prepare(
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class DataMapperAbstractTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
                 `test_has_many_rel_relations_src` int(11) NOT NULL,
                 `test_has_many_rel_relations_dest` int(11) NOT NULL,
                 PRIMARY KEY (`test_has_many_rel_relations_id`)
-            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
+            )ENGINE=InnoDB  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;'
         )->execute();
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/DataStorage/Database/Query/BuilderTest.php b/tests/DataStorage/Database/Query/BuilderTest.php
index add1e872e..f735e2ea3 100644
--- a/tests/DataStorage/Database/Query/BuilderTest.php
+++ b/tests/DataStorage/Database/Query/BuilderTest.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use phpOMS\DataStorage\Database\Query\Builder;
  */
 class BuilderTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
 {
-    protected $con = null;
+    protected $con;
 
     protected function setUp() : void
     {
diff --git a/tests/DataStorage/Database/Schema/BuilderTest.php b/tests/DataStorage/Database/Schema/BuilderTest.php
index ec5cab34e..e83c8ea80 100644
--- a/tests/DataStorage/Database/Schema/BuilderTest.php
+++ b/tests/DataStorage/Database/Schema/BuilderTest.php
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class BuilderTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
     public function testMysqlCreateTable() : void
     {
         $query = new Builder($this->con);
-        $sql   = 'CREATE TABLE `user_roles` (`user_id` INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `role_id` VARCHAR(10) DEFAULT \'1\' NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`user_id`), FOREIGN KEY (`user_id`) REFERENCES `users` (`ext1_id`), FOREIGN KEY (`role_id`) REFERENCES `roles` (`ext2_id`)) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;';
+        $sql   = 'CREATE TABLE `user_roles` (`user_id` INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `role_id` VARCHAR(10) DEFAULT \'1\' NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`user_id`), FOREIGN KEY (`user_id`) REFERENCES `users` (`ext1_id`), FOREIGN KEY (`role_id`) REFERENCES `roles` (`ext2_id`)) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 AUTO_INCREMENT=1;';
         self::assertEquals(
             $sql,
             $query->createTable('user_roles')