diff --git a/phpBB/install/install_install.php b/phpBB/install/install_install.php
index f64bddceee..9c825a72b0 100755
--- a/phpBB/install/install_install.php
+++ b/phpBB/install/install_install.php
@@ -981,6 +981,11 @@ class install_install extends module
 				{
 					$sql_query = preg_replace('/^\);$/m', ') DEFAULT CHARACTER SET latin1;', $sql_query);
 				}
+				else
+				{
+					// versions older than 4.1.2 never had a good, working varbinary. TINYBLOB is just as good.
+					$sql_query = str_replace(array("varbinary(255) DEFAULT ''", 'varbinary(255) DEFAULT 0x90D8'), "TINYBLOB DEFAULT ''", $sql_query);
+				}
 
 			break;
 
@@ -1011,9 +1016,25 @@ class install_install extends module
 		// Ok tables have been built, let's fill in the basic information
 		$sql_query = file_get_contents('schemas/schema_data.sql');
 
-		// Deal with any special comments
+		// Deal with any special comments and with MySQL < 4.1.2
 		switch ($dbms)
 		{
+			case 'mysql':
+			case 'mysql4':
+				if (version_compare(mysql_get_server_info(), '4.1.2', '<'))
+				{
+					$bitfield = new bitfield();
+					$bitfield->set(0);
+					$bitfield->set(3);
+					$bitfield->set(8);
+					$bitfield->set(9);
+					$bitfield->set(11);
+					$bitfield->set(12);
+
+					$sql_query = str_replace("INSERT INTO phpbb_styles_template (template_name, template_copyright, template_path) VALUES ('subSilver', '&copy; phpBB Group', 'subSilver');", "INSERT INTO phpbb_styles_template (template_name, template_copyright, template_path, bbcode_bitfield) VALUES ('subSilver', '&copy; phpBB Group', 'subSilver', '" . $bitfield->data . "');", $sql_query);
+				}
+			break;
+
 			case 'mssql':
 			case 'mssql_odbc':
 				$sql_query = preg_replace('#\# MSSQL IDENTITY (phpbb_[a-z_]+) (ON|OFF) \##s', 'SET IDENTITY_INSERT \1 \2;', $sql_query);