diff --git a/app/Config/database.php.default b/app/Config/database.php.default
index 42fedb60a..767c01095 100644
--- a/app/Config/database.php.default
+++ b/app/Config/database.php.default
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@
  * For MySQL : http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.6/en/set-statement.html
  * For Postgres : http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.2/static/sql-set.html
  * For Sql Server : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190356.aspx
+ *
+ * flags =>
+ * A key/value array of driver specific connection options.
  */
 class DATABASE_CONFIG {
 
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/skel/Config/database.php.default b/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/skel/Config/database.php.default
index fdefd4161..00ad15507 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/skel/Config/database.php.default
+++ b/lib/Cake/Console/Templates/skel/Config/database.php.default
@@ -41,12 +41,15 @@
  *
  * unix_socket =>
  * For MySQL to connect via socket specify the `unix_socket` parameter instead of `host` and `port`
-
+ *
  * settings =>
  * Array of key/value pairs, on connection it executes SET statements for each pair
  * For MySQL : http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.6/en/set-statement.html
  * For Postgres : http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.2/static/sql-set.html
  * For Sql Server : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190356.aspx
+ *
+ * flags =>
+ * A key/value array of driver specific connection options.
  */
 class DATABASE_CONFIG {
 
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Model/Datasource/Database/Mysql.php b/lib/Cake/Model/Datasource/Database/Mysql.php
index d2b53d561..4f1d16819 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Model/Datasource/Database/Mysql.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Model/Datasource/Database/Mysql.php
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ class Mysql extends DboSource {
 		'login' => 'root',
 		'password' => '',
 		'database' => 'cake',
-		'port' => '3306'
+		'port' => '3306',
+		'flags' => array()
 	);
 
 /**
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ class Mysql extends DboSource {
 		$config = $this->config;
 		$this->connected = false;
 
-		$flags = array(
+		$flags = $config['flags'] + array(
 			PDO::ATTR_PERSISTENT => $config['persistent'],
 			PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_USE_BUFFERED_QUERY => true,
 			PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION