diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 61515a304..45b93a6ec 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ gem "aws-sdk-s3", require: false
 
 # 37id and Queenbee integration
 gem "signal_id", bc: "signal_id", branch: "rails4"
-gem "mysql2" # needed by signal_id
+gem "mysql2", github: "jeremy/mysql2", branch: "force_latin1_to_utf8" # needed by signal_id
 gem "queuety", bc: "queuety", branch: "rails4" # needed by signal_id
 gem "service_concurrency_prevention", bc: "service_concurrency_prevention" # needed by queuety
 gem "portfolio", ">= 4.6", bc: "portfolio" # needed by signal_id
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 92d4b99d1..ac28d6228 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -110,6 +110,13 @@ GIT
       marcel (~> 1.0)
       zeitwerk (~> 2)
 
+GIT
+  remote: https://github.com/jeremy/mysql2.git
+  revision: b5766f5d296745d6aed014c8c0b7d82ef149ade1
+  branch: force_latin1_to_utf8
+  specs:
+    mysql2 (0.5.4.latin1utf8)
+
 GIT
   remote: https://github.com/rails/rails.git
   revision: 78d5233b1f36b678662f2bc00c386071aaafa7da
@@ -368,7 +375,6 @@ GEM
     msgpack (1.8.0)
     multi_json (1.15.0)
     multipart-post (2.4.1)
-    mysql2 (0.5.6)
     net-http (0.6.0)
       uri
     net-imap (0.5.9)
@@ -598,7 +604,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   kamal!
   mission_control-jobs
   mocha
-  mysql2
+  mysql2!
   platform_agent
   portfolio (>= 4.6)!
   propshaft