diff --git a/config/conf.yml b/config/conf.yml
index b311ef1..fc22322 100644
--- a/config/conf.yml
+++ b/config/conf.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ testing:
 
 # actual database should be running MySQL
 production:
+  charset: utf8mb4
   database: mysql
   name: social
   user: lbry
diff --git a/database/default_after.sql b/database/default_after.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ee19f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/default_after.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+USE `social`;
+ALTER DATABASE `social`
+    DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4
+    DEFAULT COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
+
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `CHANNEL`;
+CREATE TABLE `CHANNEL` (
+        `claimid` VARCHAR(40)  NOT NULL,
+        -- i cant tell if max name length is 255 or 256
+        `name`  VARCHAR(256) CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci NOT NULL,
+        CONSTRAINT `channel_pk` PRIMARY KEY (`claimid`)
+    )
+CHARACTER SET utf8mb4
+COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
+
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `COMMENT`;
+CREATE TABLE `COMMENT` (
+        `commentid`   VARCHAR(64)   NOT NULL,
+        `lbryclaimid` VARCHAR(40)   NOT NULL,
+        `channelid`   VARCHAR(40)              DEFAULT NULL,
+        `body`        VARCHAR(5000)
+            CHARACTER SET utf8mb4
+            COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci
+            NOT NULL,
+        `parentid`    VARCHAR(64)               DEFAULT NULL,
+        `signature`   VARCHAR(128)              DEFAULT NULL,
+        `signingts`   VARCHAR(22)               DEFAULT NULL,
+
+        `timestamp`   INTEGER NOT NULL,
+        -- there's no way that the timestamp will ever reach 22 characters
+        `ishidden`    BOOLEAN                    DEFAULT FALSE,
+        CONSTRAINT `COMMENT_PRIMARY_KEY` PRIMARY KEY (`commentid`),
+        CONSTRAINT `comment_signature_sk` UNIQUE (`signature`),
+        CONSTRAINT `comment_channel_fk` FOREIGN KEY (`channelid`) REFERENCES `CHANNEL` (`claimid`)
+            ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE CASCADE,
+        CONSTRAINT `comment_parent_fk` FOREIGN KEY (`parentid`) REFERENCES `COMMENT` (`commentid`)
+            ON UPDATE CASCADE ON DELETE CASCADE, -- setting null implies comment is top level
+        CONSTRAINT `channel_signature`
+            CHECK ( `signature` IS NOT NULL AND `signingts` IS NOT NULL)
+    )
+CHARACTER SET utf8mb4
+COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
+
+CREATE INDEX `claim_comment_index` ON `COMMENT` (`lbryclaimid`, `commentid`);
+CREATE INDEX `channel_comment_index` ON `COMMENT` (`channelid`, `commentid`);
+
+
+
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 41530f7..e5f9099 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ services:
   mysql:
     image: mysql/mysql-server:5.7.27
     restart: "no"
+    command: --character_set_server=utf8mb4 --max_allowed_packet=1073741824
     ports:
       - "3306:3306"
     environment:
diff --git a/src/database/models.py b/src/database/models.py
index 9c40586..9e72d33 100644
--- a/src/database/models.py
+++ b/src/database/models.py
@@ -13,24 +13,28 @@ from src.misc import clean
 
 
 class Channel(Model):
-    claim_id = CharField(column_name='ClaimId', primary_key=True, max_length=40)
-    name = CharField(column_name='Name', max_length=256)
+    claim_id = CharField(column_name='claimid', primary_key=True, max_length=40)
+    name = CharField(column_name='name', max_length=256)
 
     class Meta:
         table_name = 'CHANNEL'
 
 
 class Comment(Model):
-    comment = CharField(column_name='Body', max_length=2000)
+    comment = CharField(
+        column_name='body',
+        max_length=5000,
+
+    )
     channel = ForeignKeyField(
         backref='comments',
-        column_name='ChannelId',
+        column_name='channelid',
         field='claim_id',
         model=Channel,
         null=True
     )
-    comment_id = CharField(column_name='CommentId', primary_key=True, max_length=64)
-    is_hidden = BooleanField(column_name='IsHidden', constraints=[SQL("DEFAULT 0")])
+    comment_id = CharField(column_name='commentid', primary_key=True, max_length=64)
+    is_hidden = BooleanField(column_name='ishidden', constraints=[SQL("DEFAULT 0")])
     claim_id = CharField(max_length=40, column_name='LbryClaimId')
     parent = ForeignKeyField(
         column_name='ParentId',
diff --git a/src/misc.py b/src/misc.py
index e9d5be8..7c3d4bf 100644
--- a/src/misc.py
+++ b/src/misc.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ async def get_claim_from_id(app, claim_id, **kwargs):
 
 def clean_input_params(kwargs: dict):
     for k, v in kwargs.items():
-        if type(v) is str and k is not 'comment':
+        if type(v) is str and k != 'comment':
             kwargs[k] = v.strip()
             if k in ID_LIST:
                 kwargs[k] = v.lower()
diff --git a/src/server/app.py b/src/server/app.py
index 389083e..37e89da 100644
--- a/src/server/app.py
+++ b/src/server/app.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ def setup_database(app):
             host=config[mode]['host'],
             password=config[mode]['password'],
             port=config[mode]['port'],
+            charset=config[mode]['charset'],
         )
     elif config[mode]['database'] == 'sqlite':
         app['db'] = SqliteDatabase(