diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py b/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
index d9c74da4..e5964a01 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ def __init__(self, connection_settings, server_id, resume_stream=False,
             freeze_schema: If true do not support ALTER TABLE. It's faster.
         """
         self.__connection_settings = connection_settings
-        self.__connection_settings["charset"] = "utf8"
+        if not connection_settings.get("charset"):
+            self.__connection_settings["charset"] = "utf8"
 
         self.__connected_stream = False
         self.__connected_ctl = False
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py b/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
index e52afaf9..be82ea6f 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
@@ -191,7 +191,9 @@ def __add_fsp_to_time(self, time, column):
     def __read_string(self, size, column):
         string = self.packet.read_length_coded_pascal_string(size)
         if column.character_set_name is not None:
-            string = string.decode(column.character_set_name)
+            character_set_name = "utf8" if column.character_set_name == "utf8mb4" \
+                else column.character_set_name
+            string = string.decode(character_set_name)
         return string
 
     def __read_bit(self, column):