diff --git a/src/modules/mysql/configure.in b/src/modules/mysql/configure.in
index 7745ae4f02e0b0b25bb86e6f15e05456cb989f69..a86f7e46b7833d1616a2b5a685c4a3100cc583ae 100644
--- a/src/modules/mysql/configure.in
+++ b/src/modules/mysql/configure.in
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# $Id: configure.in,v 1.11 1997/01/30 22:45:23 grubba Exp $
+# $Id: configure.in,v 1.12 1997/01/31 01:13:15 grubba Exp $
 #
 # Configure script for the mysql-module
 #
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ if test x$with_mysql = xyes; then
       MYSQL_LIBS=""
     else
       AC_DEFINE(HAVE_MYSQL)
+
+      AC_CHECK_FUNCS(mysql_real_query mysql_fetch_lengths)
     fi
   fi
 else
diff --git a/src/modules/mysql/doc/mysql b/src/modules/mysql/doc/mysql
index 8732a8c99eda8be12557590c29448088364b893e..8e11cefe880f1606993e05bb220d75cabed3e657 100644
--- a/src/modules/mysql/doc/mysql
+++ b/src/modules/mysql/doc/mysql
@@ -360,3 +360,19 @@ SEE ALSO
 	/precompiled/sql/mysql_result
 
 
+============================================================================
+NAME
+	binary_data - inform if this version of mysql supports binary data
+
+SYNTAX
+	int mysql->binary_data();
+
+DESCRIPTION
+	This function returns non-zero if binary data can be reliably stored
+	and retreived with this version of the mysql-module.
+
+	Usually, there is no problem storing binary data in mysql-tables,
+	but data containing '\0' (NUL) couldn't be fetched with old
+	versions (prior to 3.20.5) of the mysql-library.
+
+
diff --git a/src/modules/mysql/mysql.c b/src/modules/mysql/mysql.c
index 44798c4ce754dc8d5d834bb222ca778845f87b10..16406ac205397f73997c9134d321c9e414484819 100644
--- a/src/modules/mysql/mysql.c
+++ b/src/modules/mysql/mysql.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: mysql.c,v 1.12 1997/01/30 23:45:22 grubba Exp $
+ * $Id: mysql.c,v 1.13 1997/01/31 01:13:16 grubba Exp $
  *
  * SQL database functionality for Pike
  *
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ typedef struct dynamic_buffer_s dynamic_buffer;
  * Globals
  */
 
-RCSID("$Id: mysql.c,v 1.12 1997/01/30 23:45:22 grubba Exp $");
+RCSID("$Id: mysql.c,v 1.13 1997/01/31 01:13:16 grubba Exp $");
 
 struct program *mysql_program = NULL;
 
@@ -606,6 +606,19 @@ static void f_list_processes(INT32 args)
   push_object(clone(mysql_result_program, 1));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Support for binary data in tables
+ */
+static void f_binary_data(INT32 args)
+{
+  pop_n_elems(args);
+#ifdef HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS
+  push_int(1);
+#else
+  push_int(0);
+#endif /* HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS */
+}
+
 #endif /* HAVE_MYSQL */
 
 /*
@@ -661,6 +674,8 @@ void init_mysql_programs(void)
   add_function("list_fields", f_list_fields, "function(string, void|string:array(int|mapping(string:mixed)))", OPT_EXTERNAL_DEPEND);
   add_function("list_processes", f_list_processes, "function(void|string:object)", OPT_EXTERNAL_DEPEND);
 
+  add_function("binary_data", f_binary_data, "function(void:int)", OPT_TRY_OPTIMIZE);
+
   set_init_callback(init_mysql_struct);
   set_exit_callback(exit_mysql_struct);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/mysql/result.c b/src/modules/mysql/result.c
index d2d52634c81a0361da6ca42b9fc6f796ec9ce39c..cba96d412d94a2fe4aeecdb1b8ff79a4c60735b9 100644
--- a/src/modules/mysql/result.c
+++ b/src/modules/mysql/result.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: result.c,v 1.11 1997/01/24 01:46:38 grubba Exp $
+ * $Id: result.c,v 1.12 1997/01/31 01:13:17 grubba Exp $
  *
  * mysql query result
  *
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ typedef struct dynamic_buffer_s dynamic_buffer;
  * Globals
  */
 
-RCSID("$Id: result.c,v 1.11 1997/01/24 01:46:38 grubba Exp $");
+RCSID("$Id: result.c,v 1.12 1997/01/31 01:13:17 grubba Exp $");
 
 struct program *mysql_result_program = NULL;
 
@@ -315,6 +315,9 @@ static void f_fetch_row(INT32 args)
 {
   int num_fields = mysql_num_fields(PIKE_MYSQL_RES->result);
   MYSQL_ROW row = mysql_fetch_row(PIKE_MYSQL_RES->result);
+#ifdef HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS
+  int *row_lengths = mysql_fetch_lengths(PIKE_MYSQL_RES->result);
+#endif /* HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS */
 
   pop_n_elems(args);
 
@@ -335,7 +338,7 @@ static void f_fetch_row(INT32 args)
 	  case FIELD_TYPE_INT24:
 #if 0
 	    /* This one will not always fit in an INT32 */
-	  case FIELD_TYPE_LONGLONG:
+          case FIELD_TYPE_LONGLONG:
 #endif /* 0 */
 	    push_int(atoi(row[i]));
 	    break;
@@ -346,12 +349,20 @@ static void f_fetch_row(INT32 args)
 	    push_float(atof(row[i]));
 	    break;
 	  default:
+#ifdef HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS
+	    push_string(make_shared_binary_string(row[i], row_lengths[i]));
+#else
 	    push_text(row[i]);
+#endif /* HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS */
 	    break;
 	  }
 	} else {
 	  /* Probably doesn't happen, but... */
+#ifdef HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS
+	  push_string(make_shared_binary_string(row[i], row_lengths[i]));
+#else
 	  push_text(row[i]);
+#endif /* HAVE_MYSQL_FETCH_LENGTHS */
 	}
       } else {
 	/* NULL? */