diff --git a/dbf2mysql.c b/dbf2mysql.c
index 69f84b8..039df3d 100644
--- a/dbf2mysql.c
+++ b/dbf2mysql.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ char 	*dbase = "test";
 char 	*table = "test";
 char    *pass = NULL;
 char    *user = NULL;
+char    *charset = "latin1";

 char	*subarg = NULL;
 char	*flist = NULL;
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ void usage(void){
 		printf("usage: dbf2mysql [-h hostname] [-d dbase] [-t table] [-p primary key]\n");
 		printf("                 [-o field[,field]] [-s oldname=newname[,oldname=newname]]\n");
 		printf("                 [-i field[,field]] [-c] [-f] [-F] [-n] [-r] [-u|-l] \n");
-		printf("                 [-v[v]] [-x] [-q]  [-P password] [-U user] dbf-file\n");
+		printf("                 [-v[v]] [-x] [-q]  [-P password] [-U user] [-C charset] dbf-file\n");
 }

 /* patch by Mindaugas Riauba <minde@pub.osf.lt> */
@@ -602,7 +603,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)

 	primary[0] = '\0';

-	while ((i = getopt(argc, argv, "xqfFrne:lucvi:h:p:d:t:s:o:U:P:")) != EOF) {
+	while ((i = getopt(argc, argv, "xqfFrne:lucvi:h:p:d:t:s:o:U:P:C:")) != EOF) {
 		switch (i) {
 		        case 'P':
 				pass = (char *)strdup(optarg);
@@ -610,6 +611,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		        case 'U':
 			        user = (char *)strdup(optarg);
 				break;
+		        case 'C':
+			        charset = (char *)strdup(optarg);
+				break;
 			case 'x':
 				express=1;
 				break;
@@ -742,6 +746,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		dbf_close(&dbh);
 		exit(1);
 	}
+	if (verbose > 2) {
+		printf("Setting charset to '%s'\n", charset);
+	}
+	sprintf(query, "SET NAMES %s", charset);
+	mysql_query(SQLsock, query);
+	free(query);
+
+
 /* Substitute field names */
       do_onlyfields(flist, dbh);
       do_substitute(subarg, dbh);
diff --git a/mysql2dbf.c b/mysql2dbf.c
index 58304ba..3e62d2f 100644
--- a/mysql2dbf.c
+++ b/mysql2dbf.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ char	*dbase = NULL;
 char	*table = NULL;
 char    *pass = NULL;
 char    *user = NULL;
+char    *charset = "latin1";

 inline void strtoupper(char *string);
 inline void strtolower(char *string);
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ inline void strtolower(char *string) {

 void usage(void) {
 	printf("mysql2dbf %s\n", VERSION);
-	printf("usage:\tmysql2dbf [-h host] [-u | -l] [-v[v]]\n");
+	printf("usage:\tmysql2dbf [-h host] [-u | -l] [-v[v]] [-C charset]\n");
 	printf("\t\t\t[-q query] [-P password] [-U user] -d dbase -t table dbf-file\n");
 }

@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	extern int      optind;
 	extern char     *optarg;
 	char            *query = NULL;
+	char            *char_query = NULL;

 	dbhead          *dbh;
 	field			*rec;
@@ -101,6 +103,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		        case 'U':
 			        user = (char *)strdup(optarg);
 				break;
+		        case 'C':
+			        charset = (char *)strdup(optarg);
+				break;
 			case ':':
 				usage();
 				printf("Missing argument!\n");
@@ -170,6 +175,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         exit(1);
     }

+	if (verbose > 2) {
+		printf("Setting charset to '%s'\n", charset);
+	}
+	sprintf(char_query, "SET NAMES %s", charset);
+	mysql_query(SQLsock, char_query);
+	free(char_query);
+
 	if (verbose > 1) {
 		printf("Sending query\n");
 	}