diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index ece6ddd..84ef71a 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ RUN yum -y install --setopt=tsflags=nodocs mariadb-server bind-utils pwgen psmis
 
 # Add starters and installers
 ADD ./container_files /opt
-
+RUN rm -rf /etc/my.cnf
+COPY ./conf/my.cnf /etc
 # Add Volumes and Set permissions
 RUN mkdir /opt/shared && chmod 777 /opt/shared && chmod 777 /opt/bin/*.sh
 
diff --git a/conf/my.cnf b/conf/my.cnf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab171a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/my.cnf
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#
+# These groups are read by MariaDB server.
+# Use it for options that only the server (but not clients) should see
+#
+# See the examples of server my.cnf files in /usr/share/mysql/
+#
+
+# this is read by the standalone daemon and embedded servers
+[server]
+
+# this is only for the mysqld standalone daemon
+[mysqld]
+skip-character-set-client-handshake
+datadir=/var/lib/mysqlmounted
+socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
+character-set-server=utf8
+#default-character-set=utf8
+collation-server=utf8_bin
+#collation-server=utf8_general_ci
+init-connect='SET NAMES utf8'
+log-error=/var/log/mariadb/mariadb.log
+pid-file=/var/run/mariadb/mariadb.pid
+# this is only for embedded server
+[embedded]
+
+# This group is only read by MariaDB-5.5 servers.
+# If you use the same .cnf file for MariaDB of different versions,
+# use this group for options that older servers don't understand
+[mysqld-5.5]
+
+# These two groups are only read by MariaDB servers, not by MySQL.
+# If you use the same .cnf file for MySQL and MariaDB,
+# you can put MariaDB-only options here
+[mariadb]
+collation-server = utf8_bin
+#collation-server = utf8_general_ci
+init-connect='SET NAMES utf8'
+#default-character-set = utf8
+character-set-server = utf8
+[mariadb-5.5]
+collation-server = utf8_bin
+#collation-server = utf8_general_ci
+init-connect='SET NAMES utf8'
+#default-character-set = utf8
+character-set-server = utf8
diff --git a/container_files/bin/start.sh b/container_files/bin/start.sh
index e419b31..9d86e91 100755
--- a/container_files/bin/start.sh
+++ b/container_files/bin/start.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ if [ -e "/tmp/firsttimerunning" ]; then
         fi
         
         echo 'Running mysql_install_db ...' >> $log
-        mysql_install_db --datadir="$MYSQL_DATADIR" >> $log
+        mysql_install_db --defaults-file=/etc/my.cnf --datadir="$MYSQL_DATADIR" >> $log
         echo 'Finished mysql_install_db' >> $log
         
         # These statements _must_ be on individual lines, and _must_ end with
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ if [ -e "/tmp/firsttimerunning" ]; then
         # [jvf] mysqld_safe unknown option '--character-set-server=utf8' [FIXME]
         #echo "character-set-server = utf8" >> /etc/my.cnf
         #echo "collation-server = utf8_unicode_ci" >> /etc/my.cnf
-        echo "" >> /etc/my.cnf
+        #echo "" >> /etc/my.cnf
         
         echo "Fixing Permissions" >> $log
         chown -R mysql:mysql $MYSQL_DATADIR
diff --git a/tests/image.bats b/tests/image.bats
index 5918a29..85490ac 100644
--- a/tests/image.bats
+++ b/tests/image.bats
@@ -9,3 +9,8 @@ load ../common
 @test "MariaDB service available" {
   docker run -i $maintainer/$imagename find /usr/lib/systemd/system/mariadb.service
 }
+
+@test "MariaDB first run consumes tmpfile" {
+  result="$(docker run -i $maintainer/$imagename find /tmp/firsttimerunning)"
+  [ "$result" != '' ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/running.bats b/tests/running.bats
index 1d5c5d9..ddb663d 100644
--- a/tests/running.bats
+++ b/tests/running.bats
@@ -19,3 +19,15 @@ load ../common
 @test "Creates user account with password" {
   docker exec -i $imagename mysql -u registry_user --password="WJzesbe3poNZ91qIbmR7" -h 127.0.0.1 -e 'show tables' registry
 }
+
+@test "UTF8 character set" {
+  docker exec -i $imagename mysql -u root -h 127.0.0.1 --password=123321 -e 'show variables' | grep char | grep utf8
+}
+
+@test "UTF8 collations" {
+  docker exec -i $imagename mysql -u root -h 127.0.0.1 --password=123321 -e 'show variables' | grep collation | grep utf8_bin
+}
+
+@test "UTF8 databases" {
+  docker exec -i $imagename mysql -u root -h 127.0.0.1 --password=123321 -e 'show create database registry' | grep "DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_bin"
+}
\ No newline at end of file