diff --git a/tests/dbal/schema_test.php b/tests/dbal/schema_test.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2475a85708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dbal/schema_test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+<?php
+/**
+*
+* @package testing
+* @copyright (c) 2011 phpBB Group
+* @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php GNU Public License
+*
+*/
+
+require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../phpBB/includes/functions.php';
+
+class phpbb_dbal_schema_test extends phpbb_database_test_case
+{
+	public function getDataSet()
+	{
+		return $this->createXMLDataSet(dirname(__FILE__).'/fixtures/config.xml');
+	}
+
+	public function test_config_value_multibyte()
+	{
+		$db = $this->new_dbal();
+
+		$value = str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 255);
+		$sql = "INSERT INTO phpbb_config
+			(config_name, config_value)
+			VALUES ('name', '$value')";
+		$result = $db->sql_query($sql);
+
+		$sql = "SELECT config_value
+			FROM phpbb_config
+			WHERE config_name = 'name'";
+		$result = $db->sql_query_limit($sql, 1);
+		$row = $db->sql_fetchrow($result);
+		$db->sql_freeresult($result);
+
+		$this->assertEquals($value, $row['config_value']);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/functions_acp/validate_config_vars_test.php b/tests/functions_acp/validate_config_vars_test.php
index aa63bc38df..761788e264 100644
--- a/tests/functions_acp/validate_config_vars_test.php
+++ b/tests/functions_acp/validate_config_vars_test.php
@@ -12,19 +12,6 @@ require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../phpBB/includes/functions_acp.php';
 
 class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_config_vars_test extends phpbb_test_case
 {
-	/**
-	* Helper function which returns a string in a given length.
-	*/
-	static public function return_string($length)
-	{
-		$string = '';
-		for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++)
-		{
-			$string .= 'a';
-		}
-		return $string;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	* Data sets that don't throw an error.
 	*/
@@ -35,7 +22,10 @@ class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_config_vars_test extends phpbb_test_case
 				array(
 					'test_bool'				=> array('lang' => 'TEST_BOOL',			'validate' => 'bool'),
 					'test_string'			=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING',		'validate' => 'string'),
+					'test_string'			=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING',		'validate' => 'string'),
 					'test_string_128'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_128',	'validate' => 'string:128'),
+					'test_string_128'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_128',	'validate' => 'string:128'),
+					'test_string_32_64'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_32_64',	'validate' => 'string:32:64'),
 					'test_string_32_64'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_32_64',	'validate' => 'string:32:64'),
 					'test_int'				=> array('lang' => 'TEST_INT',			'validate' => 'int'),
 					'test_int_32'			=> array('lang' => 'TEST_INT',			'validate' => 'int:32'),
@@ -51,9 +41,12 @@ class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_config_vars_test extends phpbb_test_case
 				),
 				array(
 					'test_bool'			=> true,
-					'test_string'		=> self::return_string(255),
-					'test_string_128'	=> self::return_string(128),
-					'test_string_32_64'	=> self::return_string(48),
+					'test_string'		=> str_repeat('a', 255),
+					'test_string'		=> str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 255),
+					'test_string_128'	=> str_repeat('a', 128),
+					'test_string_128'	=> str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 128),
+					'test_string_32_64'	=> str_repeat('a', 48),
+					'test_string_32_64'	=> str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 48),
 					'test_int'			=> 128,
 					'test_int_32'		=> 32,
 					'test_int_32_64'	=> 48,
@@ -86,17 +79,32 @@ class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_config_vars_test extends phpbb_test_case
 		return array(
 			array(
 				array('test_string_32_64'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_32_64',	'validate' => 'string:32:64')),
-				array('test_string_32_64'	=> self::return_string(20)),
+				array('test_string_32_64'	=> str_repeat('a', 20)),
+				array('SETTING_TOO_SHORT'),
+			),
+			array(
+				array('test_string_32_64'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_32_64',	'validate' => 'string:32:64')),
+				array('test_string_32_64'	=> str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 20)),
 				array('SETTING_TOO_SHORT'),
 			),
 			array(
 				array('test_string'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING',	'validate' => 'string')),
-				array('test_string'		=> self::return_string(256)),
+				array('test_string'		=> str_repeat('a', 256)),
+				array('SETTING_TOO_LONG'),
+			),
+			array(
+				array('test_string'		=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING',	'validate' => 'string')),
+				array('test_string'		=> str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 256)),
 				array('SETTING_TOO_LONG'),
 			),
 			array(
 				array('test_string_32_64'	=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_32_64',	'validate' => 'string:32:64')),
-				array('test_string_32_64'	=> self::return_string(65)),
+				array('test_string_32_64'	=> str_repeat('a', 65)),
+				array('SETTING_TOO_LONG'),
+			),
+			array(
+				array('test_string_32_64'	=> array('lang' => 'TEST_STRING_32_64',	'validate' => 'string:32:64')),
+				array('test_string_32_64'	=> str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 65)),
 				array('SETTING_TOO_LONG'),
 			),
 
diff --git a/tests/functions_acp/validate_range_test.php b/tests/functions_acp/validate_range_test.php
index a9c9612ad7..11b7f87957 100644
--- a/tests/functions_acp/validate_range_test.php
+++ b/tests/functions_acp/validate_range_test.php
@@ -8,23 +8,11 @@
 */
 
 require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../mock/lang.php';
+require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../phpBB/includes/utf/utf_tools.php';
 require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../phpBB/includes/functions_acp.php';
 
 class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_range_test extends phpbb_test_case
 {
-	/**
-	* Helper function which returns a string in a given length.
-	*/
-	static public function return_string($length)
-	{
-		$string = '';
-		for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++)
-		{
-			$string .= 'a';
-		}
-		return $string;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	* Data sets that don't throw an error.
 	*/
@@ -53,8 +41,10 @@ class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_range_test extends phpbb_test_case
 			array(array(array('column_type' => 'TINT:-32:64', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => 16))),
 
 			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => ''))),
-			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => self::return_string(255)))),
-			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR:128', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => self::return_string(128)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat('a', 255)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 255)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR:128', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat('a', 128)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR:128', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 128)))),
 		);
 	}
 
@@ -157,8 +147,10 @@ class phpbb_functions_acp_validate_range_test extends phpbb_test_case
 	public function validate_range_data_too_long()
 	{
 		return array(
-			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => self::return_string(256)))),
-			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR:128', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => self::return_string(129)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat('a', 256)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 256)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR:128', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat('a', 129)))),
+			array(array(array('column_type' => 'VCHAR:128', 'lang' => 'TEST', 'value' => str_repeat("\xC3\x84", 129)))),
 		);
 	}