diff --git a/devstack/plugin.sh b/devstack/plugin.sh
index 0d7c85e5..16612e05 100755
--- a/devstack/plugin.sh
+++ b/devstack/plugin.sh
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ function configure_ec2api {
 # init_ec2api() - Initialize databases, etc.
 function init_ec2api() {
     # (re)create ec2api database
-    recreate_database ec2api utf8
+    recreate_database ec2api
 
     $EC2API_BIN_DIR/ec2-api-manage --config-file $EC2API_CONF_FILE db_sync
 }
diff --git a/ec2api/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/001_juno.py b/ec2api/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/001_juno.py
index 9155154e..bac3be5e 100644
--- a/ec2api/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/001_juno.py
+++ b/ec2api/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/001_juno.py
@@ -48,9 +48,10 @@ def upgrade(migrate_engine):
     if migrate_engine.name == "mysql":
         # In Folsom we explicitly converted migrate_version to UTF8.
         sql = "ALTER TABLE migrate_version CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8;"
+        migrate_engine.execute(sql)
         # Set default DB charset to UTF8.
-        sql += ("ALTER DATABASE %s DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8;" %
-                migrate_engine.url.database)
+        sql = (" ALTER DATABASE %s DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8;" %
+               migrate_engine.url.database)
         migrate_engine.execute(sql)