diff --git a/doc/source/contributor/dev-quickstart.rst b/doc/source/contributor/dev-quickstart.rst
index 3fe03f02be..6f63104f98 100644
--- a/doc/source/contributor/dev-quickstart.rst
+++ b/doc/source/contributor/dev-quickstart.rst
@@ -131,6 +131,13 @@ The unit tests need a local database setup, you can use
 ``tools/test-setup.sh`` to set up the database the same way as setup
 in the OpenStack test systems.
 
+.. note::
+   If you encounter issues executing unit tests, specifically where errors
+   may indicate that a field is too long, check your database's default
+   character encoding. Debian specifically sets MariaDB to ``utf8mb4``
+   which utilizes 4 byte encoded unicode characters by default, which is
+   incompatible by default.
+
 Additional Tox Targets
 ----------------------
 
diff --git a/doc/source/install/include/common-prerequisites.inc b/doc/source/install/include/common-prerequisites.inc
index edaca46d05..718e80c9dc 100644
--- a/doc/source/install/include/common-prerequisites.inc
+++ b/doc/source/install/include/common-prerequisites.inc
@@ -22,8 +22,16 @@ MySQL database that is used by other OpenStack services.
    .. code-block:: console
 
       # mysql -u root -p
-      mysql> CREATE DATABASE ironic CHARACTER SET utf8;
+      mysql> CREATE DATABASE ironic CHARACTER SET utf8mb3;
       mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ironic.* TO 'ironic'@'localhost' \
              IDENTIFIED BY 'IRONIC_DBPASSWORD';
       mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ironic.* TO 'ironic'@'%' \
              IDENTIFIED BY 'IRONIC_DBPASSWORD';
+
+.. note::
+   When creating the database to house Ironic, specifically on MySQL/MariaDB,
+   the character set *cannot* be 4 byte Unicode characters. This is due to
+   an internal structural constraint. UTF8, in these database platforms,
+   has traditionally meant ``utf8mb3``, short for "UTF-8, 3 byte encoding",
+   however the platforms are expected to move to ``utf8mb4`` which is
+   incompatible with Ironic.
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2581ebaf0cb2_initial_migration.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2581ebaf0cb2_initial_migration.py
index d47a3d131b..1587dc94aa 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2581ebaf0cb2_initial_migration.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2581ebaf0cb2_initial_migration.py
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.Column('drivers', sa.Text(), nullable=True),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('id'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('hostname', name='uniq_conductors0hostname'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3',
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
     )
     op.create_table(
         'chassis',
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.Column('description', sa.String(length=255), nullable=True),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('id'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('uuid', name='uniq_chassis0uuid'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
     op.create_table(
         'nodes',
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.ForeignKeyConstraint(['chassis_id'], ['chassis.id'], ),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('id'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('uuid', name='uniq_nodes0uuid'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
     op.create_index('node_instance_uuid', 'nodes', ['instance_uuid'],
                     unique=False)
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('id'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('address', name='uniq_ports0address'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('uuid', name='uniq_ports0uuid'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
     # end Alembic commands
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2aac7e0872f6_add_deploy_templates.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2aac7e0872f6_add_deploy_templates.py
index 0b5e8ff10f..0cdc38fb2f 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2aac7e0872f6_add_deploy_templates.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/2aac7e0872f6_add_deploy_templates.py
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('id'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('uuid', name='uniq_deploytemplates0uuid'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('name', name='uniq_deploytemplates0name'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
 
     op.create_table(
@@ -62,6 +62,6 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.Index('deploy_template_id', 'deploy_template_id'),
         sa.Index('deploy_template_steps_interface_idx', 'interface'),
         sa.Index('deploy_template_steps_step_idx', 'step'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/48d6c242bb9b_add_node_tags.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/48d6c242bb9b_add_node_tags.py
index 641419f091..b0e12e56b6 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/48d6c242bb9b_add_node_tags.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/48d6c242bb9b_add_node_tags.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.Column('tag', sa.String(length=255), nullable=False),
         sa.ForeignKeyConstraint(['node_id'], ['nodes.id'], ),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('node_id', 'tag'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
     op.create_index('node_tags_idx', 'node_tags', ['tag'], unique=False)
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/5ea1b0d310e_added_port_group_table_and_altered_ports.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/5ea1b0d310e_added_port_group_table_and_altered_ports.py
index a799c1b1d7..7b1eacbe07 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/5ea1b0d310e_added_port_group_table_and_altered_ports.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/5ea1b0d310e_added_port_group_table_and_altered_ports.py
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ def upgrade():
                     sa.UniqueConstraint('address',
                                         name='uniq_portgroups0address'),
                     sa.UniqueConstraint('name', name='uniq_portgroups0name'),
-                    mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-                    mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8')
+                    mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+                    mysql_charset='UTF8MB3')
     op.add_column(u'ports', sa.Column('local_link_connection', sa.Text(),
                                       nullable=True))
     op.add_column(u'ports', sa.Column('portgroup_id', sa.Integer(),
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/82c315d60161_add_bios_settings.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/82c315d60161_add_bios_settings.py
index 0d93bed301..33c141caa6 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/82c315d60161_add_bios_settings.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/82c315d60161_add_bios_settings.py
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.Column('version', sa.String(length=15), nullable=True),
         sa.ForeignKeyConstraint(['node_id'], ['nodes.id'], ),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('node_id', 'name'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/9ef41f07cb58_add_node_history_table.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/9ef41f07cb58_add_node_history_table.py
index 9f5b855edf..748d281e2a 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/9ef41f07cb58_add_node_history_table.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/9ef41f07cb58_add_node_history_table.py
@@ -48,5 +48,5 @@ def upgrade():
                     sa.Index('history_node_id_idx', 'node_id'),
                     sa.Index('history_uuid_idx', 'uuid'),
                     sa.Index('history_conductor_idx', 'conductor'),
-                    mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-                    mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8')
+                    mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+                    mysql_charset='UTF8MB3')
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/b4130a7fc904_create_nodetraits_table.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/b4130a7fc904_create_nodetraits_table.py
index 8cf30a2d94..66216b7222 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/b4130a7fc904_create_nodetraits_table.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/b4130a7fc904_create_nodetraits_table.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.Column('trait', sa.String(length=255), nullable=False),
         sa.ForeignKeyConstraint(['node_id'], ['nodes.id'], ),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('node_id', 'trait'),
-        mysql_ENGINE='InnoDB',
-        mysql_DEFAULT_CHARSET='UTF8'
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
     )
     op.create_index('node_traits_idx', 'node_traits', ['trait'], unique=False)
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/dd67b91a1981_add_allocations_table.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/dd67b91a1981_add_allocations_table.py
index 55560dc68e..74ab297a5b 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/dd67b91a1981_add_allocations_table.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/dd67b91a1981_add_allocations_table.py
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ def upgrade():
         sa.ForeignKeyConstraint(['node_id'], ['nodes.id'], ),
         sa.PrimaryKeyConstraint('id'),
         sa.UniqueConstraint('name', name='uniq_allocations0name'),
-        sa.UniqueConstraint('uuid', name='uniq_allocations0uuid')
+        sa.UniqueConstraint('uuid', name='uniq_allocations0uuid'),
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='UTF8MB3'
+
     )
     op.add_column('nodes', sa.Column('allocation_id', sa.Integer(),
                                      nullable=True))
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/allocations-charset-5384d1ea00964bdd.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/allocations-charset-5384d1ea00964bdd.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3db4da086f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/allocations-charset-5384d1ea00964bdd.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixes an missing MySQL/MariaDB character set configuration and default
+    table type encoding for the ``allocations`` database table. Previously,
+    If Ironic's database was attempted to be populated on a machine which
+    was using 4 byte character encoding, such as MySQL/MariaDB on Debian
+    based systems, then the database schema creation would fail.
+upgrade:
+  - This upgrade updates the default character set to utilized in the
+    database tables when using MySQL/MariaDB. Previously, the default
+    for Ironic was ``UTF8``, however we now explicitly set ``UTF8MB3``
+    which is short for "3 byte UTF8" encoding. The exception to this
+    is the ``allocations`` table, which would just rely upon the database
+    default. This was done as Ironic's database schema is incompatible
+    with MySQL/MariaDB's ``UTF8MB4``, or "4 byte UTF8" character encoding
+    and storage constraints.
+  - Upgrading will change the default chracter encoding of all tables.
+    For most tables, this should be an effective noop, but may result in
+    transitory table locks. For the ``allocations`` table, it will need to
+    be re-written, during which the database engine will have locked the
+    table from being used. Operators are advised to perform test upgrades
+    and set expectation and upgrade plans accordingly.