Index: database/PropelDatabase.class.php
===================================================================
--- database/PropelDatabase.class.php   (revision 2130)
+++ database/PropelDatabase.class.php   (working copy)
@@ -157,6 +157,15 @@
                        Propel::init($runtime);
                        $this->connection = Propel::getConnection();
                        $this->resource =& $this->connection->getResource();
+
+                       $charset = $this->getParameter('charset', null);
+            
+            if (!empty($charset))
+            {
+                $query = "SET CHARSET ".$charset;
+                $this->connection->executeUpdate($query);
+            }
+            
                } catch (SQLException $e) {
                        // the connection's foobar'd
                        throw new DatabaseException($e->toString());