diff --git a/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ban.html b/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ban.html
index abc115330c..cbafa554b1 100644
--- a/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ban.html
+++ b/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ban.html
@@ -60,11 +60,11 @@
 </dl>
 <dl>
 	<dt><label for="banreason">{L_BAN_REASON}:</label></dt>
-	<dd><input name="banreason" type="text" class="text medium" maxlength="3000" id="banreason" /></dd>
+	<dd><input name="banreason" type="text" class="text medium" maxlength="255" id="banreason" /></dd>
 </dl>
 <dl>
 	<dt><label for="bangivereason">{L_BAN_GIVE_REASON}:</label></dt>
-	<dd><input name="bangivereason" type="text" class="text medium" maxlength="3000" id="bangivereason" /></dd>
+	<dd><input name="bangivereason" type="text" class="text medium" maxlength="255" id="bangivereason" /></dd>
 </dl>
 
 <p class="submit-buttons">
diff --git a/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php b/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php
index d4821d0d5d..5bcda458bf 100644
--- a/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php
+++ b/phpBB/develop/create_schema_files.php
@@ -886,8 +886,8 @@ function get_schema_struct()
 			'ban_start'			=> array('TIMESTAMP', 0),
 			'ban_end'			=> array('TIMESTAMP', 0),
 			'ban_exclude'		=> array('BOOL', 0),
-			'ban_reason'		=> array('STEXT', ''),
-			'ban_give_reason'	=> array('STEXT', ''),
+			'ban_reason'		=> array('VCHAR_UNI', ''),
+			'ban_give_reason'	=> array('VCHAR_UNI', ''),
 		),
 		'PRIMARY_KEY'			=> 'ban_id',
 		'KEYS'			=> array(
diff --git a/phpBB/docs/CHANGELOG.html b/phpBB/docs/CHANGELOG.html
index 336e58b885..4f52a4358d 100644
--- a/phpBB/docs/CHANGELOG.html
+++ b/phpBB/docs/CHANGELOG.html
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ p a {
 		<li>[Fix] Minor language and style fixes (Bugs #12235, #12493, #11949)</li>
 		<li>[Feature] Added backlinks to mcp_report (Bug #12905)</li>
 		<li>[Fix] Only check usernames in guest posts upon edit (Bug #11349)</li>
-		
+		<li>[Fix] Added proper unicode support to ban reasons (Bug #12947)</li>
 
 	</ul>
 
diff --git a/phpBB/install/database_update.php b/phpBB/install/database_update.php
index f4ec7bb566..352c88f0d6 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/database_update.php
+++ b/phpBB/install/database_update.php
@@ -332,6 +332,16 @@ $database_update_info = array(
 			),
 		),
 	),
+	// Changes from 3.0.RC2 to the next version
+	'3.0.RC2'			=> array(
+		// Remove the following keys
+		'change_columns'		=> array(
+			BANLIST_TABLE	=> array(
+				'ban_reason'		=> array('VCHAR_UNI', ''),
+				'ban_give_reason'	=> array('VCHAR_UNI', ''),
+			),
+		),
+	),
 );
 
 // Determine mapping database type
@@ -1406,7 +1416,16 @@ function sql_column_change($dbms, $table_name, $column_name, $column_data)
 		break;
 
 		case 'postgres':
-			$sql = 'ALTER TABLE ' . $table_name . ' ALTER COLUMN ' . $column_name . ' SET ' . $column_data['column_type_sql'];
+			$default_pos = strpos($column_data['column_type_sql'], ' DEFAULT');
+
+			if ($default_pos === false)
+			{
+				$sql = 'ALTER TABLE ' . $table_name . ' ALTER COLUMN ' . $column_name . ' TYPE ' . $column_data['column_type_sql'];
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				$sql = 'ALTER TABLE ' . $table_name . ' ALTER COLUMN ' . $column_name . ' TYPE ' . substr($column_data['column_type_sql'], 0, $default_pos) . ', ALTER COLUMN ' . $column_name . ' SET ' . substr($column_data['column_type_sql'], $default_pos + 1);
+			}
 			_sql($sql, $errored, $error_ary);
 		break;
 
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/firebird_schema.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/firebird_schema.sql
index f1c74512eb..d0f9cf88d1 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/firebird_schema.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/firebird_schema.sql
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ CREATE TABLE phpbb_banlist (
 	ban_start INTEGER DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
 	ban_end INTEGER DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
 	ban_exclude INTEGER DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
-	ban_reason BLOB SUB_TYPE TEXT CHARACTER SET NONE DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
-	ban_give_reason BLOB SUB_TYPE TEXT CHARACTER SET NONE DEFAULT '' NOT NULL
+	ban_reason VARCHAR(255) CHARACTER SET UTF8 DEFAULT '' NOT NULL COLLATE UNICODE,
+	ban_give_reason VARCHAR(255) CHARACTER SET UTF8 DEFAULT '' NOT NULL COLLATE UNICODE
 );;
 
 ALTER TABLE phpbb_banlist ADD PRIMARY KEY (ban_id);;
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/mssql_schema.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/mssql_schema.sql
index 6c2e2ee24d..7dd9c4e924 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/mssql_schema.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/mssql_schema.sql
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ CREATE TABLE [phpbb_banlist] (
 	[ban_start] [int] DEFAULT (0) NOT NULL ,
 	[ban_end] [int] DEFAULT (0) NOT NULL ,
 	[ban_exclude] [int] DEFAULT (0) NOT NULL ,
-	[ban_reason] [varchar] (3000) DEFAULT ('') NOT NULL ,
-	[ban_give_reason] [varchar] (3000) DEFAULT ('') NOT NULL 
+	[ban_reason] [varchar] (255) DEFAULT ('') NOT NULL ,
+	[ban_give_reason] [varchar] (255) DEFAULT ('') NOT NULL 
 ) ON [PRIMARY]
 GO
 
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/mysql_41_schema.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/mysql_41_schema.sql
index 44b292b7e7..7fee7f696d 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/mysql_41_schema.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/mysql_41_schema.sql
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ CREATE TABLE phpbb_banlist (
 	ban_start int(11) UNSIGNED DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
 	ban_end int(11) UNSIGNED DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
 	ban_exclude tinyint(1) UNSIGNED DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
-	ban_reason text NOT NULL,
-	ban_give_reason text NOT NULL,
+	ban_reason varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
+	ban_give_reason varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY (ban_id),
 	KEY ban_end (ban_end),
 	KEY ban_user (ban_userid, ban_exclude),
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/oracle_schema.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/oracle_schema.sql
index 489c7e7bc5..69889a3db2 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/oracle_schema.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/oracle_schema.sql
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ CREATE TABLE phpbb_banlist (
 	ban_start number(11) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
 	ban_end number(11) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
 	ban_exclude number(1) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
-	ban_reason varchar2(3000) DEFAULT '' ,
-	ban_give_reason varchar2(3000) DEFAULT '' ,
+	ban_reason varchar2(765) DEFAULT '' ,
+	ban_give_reason varchar2(765) DEFAULT '' ,
 	CONSTRAINT pk_phpbb_banlist PRIMARY KEY (ban_id)
 )
 /
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/postgres_schema.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/postgres_schema.sql
index b1ff1d1d11..c49423bcf9 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/postgres_schema.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/postgres_schema.sql
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ CREATE TABLE phpbb_banlist (
 	ban_start INT4 DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL CHECK (ban_start >= 0),
 	ban_end INT4 DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL CHECK (ban_end >= 0),
 	ban_exclude INT2 DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL CHECK (ban_exclude >= 0),
-	ban_reason varchar(3000) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
-	ban_give_reason varchar(3000) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
+	ban_reason varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
+	ban_give_reason varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY (ban_id)
 );
 
diff --git a/phpBB/install/schemas/sqlite_schema.sql b/phpBB/install/schemas/sqlite_schema.sql
index 70b4f8de22..156e4bfc76 100644
--- a/phpBB/install/schemas/sqlite_schema.sql
+++ b/phpBB/install/schemas/sqlite_schema.sql
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ CREATE TABLE phpbb_banlist (
 	ban_start INTEGER UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
 	ban_end INTEGER UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
 	ban_exclude INTEGER UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
-	ban_reason text(65535) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-	ban_give_reason text(65535) NOT NULL DEFAULT ''
+	ban_reason varchar(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+	ban_give_reason varchar(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT ''
 );
 
 CREATE INDEX phpbb_banlist_ban_end ON phpbb_banlist (ban_end);
diff --git a/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/mcp_ban.html b/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/mcp_ban.html
index cc41ce9c1f..531a90bb42 100644
--- a/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/mcp_ban.html
+++ b/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/mcp_ban.html
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@
 	</dl>
 	<dl>
 		<dt><label for="banreason">{L_BAN_REASON}:</label></dt>
-		<dd><input name="banreason" id="banreason" type="text" class="inputbox" /></dd>
+		<dd><input name="banreason" id="banreason" type="text" class="inputbox" maxlength="255" /></dd>
 	</dl>
 	<dl>
 		<dt><label for="bangivereason">{L_BAN_GIVE_REASON}:</label></dt>
-		<dd><input name="bangivereason" id="bangivereason" type="text" class="inputbox" /></dd>
+		<dd><input name="bangivereason" id="bangivereason" type="text" class="inputbox" maxlength="255" /></dd>
 	</dl>
 
 	<hr />
diff --git a/phpBB/styles/subsilver2/template/mcp_ban.html b/phpBB/styles/subsilver2/template/mcp_ban.html
index 7441e4e71c..389f71c6fc 100644
--- a/phpBB/styles/subsilver2/template/mcp_ban.html
+++ b/phpBB/styles/subsilver2/template/mcp_ban.html
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td class="row1" valign="top"><b>{L_BAN_REASON}:</b></td>
-	<td class="row2"><input name="banreason" type="text" class="post" /></td>
+	<td class="row2"><input name="banreason" type="text" class="post" maxlength="255" /></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td class="row1" valign="top"><b>{L_BAN_GIVE_REASON}:</b></td>
-	<td class="row2"><input name="bangivereason" type="text" class="post" /></td>
+	<td class="row2"><input name="bangivereason" type="text" class="post" maxlength="255" /></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td class="cat" colspan="2" align="center"><input type="submit" name="bansubmit" value="{L_SUBMIT}" class="btnmain" />&nbsp; <input type="reset" value="{L_RESET}" class="btnlite" />&nbsp;</td>