diff --git a/mysql/server.sls b/mysql/server.sls
index 28f0857..e786efc 100644
--- a/mysql/server.sls
+++ b/mysql/server.sls
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ mysql_delete_anonymous_user_{{ host }}:
     - absent
     - host: {{ host }}
     - name: ''
+    - connection_host: localhost
+    - connection_user: root
     - connection_pass: {{ mysql_root_password }}
+    - connection_charset: utf8
     - require:
       - service: mysqld
       - pkg: mysql_python
diff --git a/mysql/user.sls b/mysql/user.sls
index 935493c..2346d0a 100644
--- a/mysql/user.sls
+++ b/mysql/user.sls
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ include:
   mysql_grants.present:
     - name: {{ user['name'] ~ '_' ~ db['database'] }}
     - grant: {{db['grants']|join(",")}}
-    - database: {{ db['database'] }}.*
+    - database: '{{ db['database'] }}.*'
     - user: {{ user['name'] }}
     - host: '{{ user['host'] }}'
     - connection_host: localhost