diff --git a/contrib/unaccent/expected/unaccent.out b/contrib/unaccent/expected/unaccent.out
index 8d197c50be..a09e00fe5b 100644
--- a/contrib/unaccent/expected/unaccent.out
+++ b/contrib/unaccent/expected/unaccent.out
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 SET client_min_messages = warning;
 \set ECHO none
 RESET client_min_messages;
+-- must have a UTF8 database
+SELECT getdatabaseencoding();
+ getdatabaseencoding 
+---------------------
+ UTF8
+(1 row)
+
 SET client_encoding TO 'KOI8';
 SELECT unaccent('foobar');
  unaccent 
diff --git a/contrib/unaccent/sql/unaccent.sql b/contrib/unaccent/sql/unaccent.sql
index 71ab5bb435..ede938d479 100644
--- a/contrib/unaccent/sql/unaccent.sql
+++ b/contrib/unaccent/sql/unaccent.sql
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ SET client_min_messages = warning;
 \set ECHO all
 RESET client_min_messages;
 
+-- must have a UTF8 database
+SELECT getdatabaseencoding();
+
 SET client_encoding TO 'KOI8';
 
 SELECT unaccent('foobar');