diff --git a/configs/development.ini b/configs/development.ini
index f56bcd43..2997b474 100644
--- a/configs/development.ini
+++ b/configs/development.ini
@@ -529,7 +529,6 @@ sqlalchemy.db1.url = sqlite:///%(here)s/rhodecode.db?timeout=30
 sqlalchemy.db1.echo = false
 ## recycle the connections after this amount of seconds
 sqlalchemy.db1.pool_recycle = 3600
-sqlalchemy.db1.convert_unicode = true
 
 ## the number of connections to keep open inside the connection pool.
 ## 0 indicates no limit
diff --git a/configs/production.ini b/configs/production.ini
index 568408c2..1d6f34a7 100644
--- a/configs/production.ini
+++ b/configs/production.ini
@@ -502,7 +502,6 @@ sqlalchemy.db1.url = postgresql://postgres:qweqwe@localhost/rhodecode
 sqlalchemy.db1.echo = false
 ## recycle the connections after this amount of seconds
 sqlalchemy.db1.pool_recycle = 3600
-sqlalchemy.db1.convert_unicode = true
 
 ## the number of connections to keep open inside the connection pool.
 ## 0 indicates no limit
diff --git a/docs/install/database-string.rst b/docs/install/database-string.rst
index ac12fa1e..bd8f9347 100644
--- a/docs/install/database-string.rst
+++ b/docs/install/database-string.rst
@@ -35,4 +35,3 @@ use the following steps:
     # see sqlalchemy docs for other advanced settings
     sqlalchemy.db1.echo = false
     sqlalchemy.db1.pool_recycle = 3600
-    sqlalchemy.db1.convert_unicode = true
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/rhodecode.ini b/rhodecode/tests/rhodecode.ini
index 463e21d1..61c65647 100644
--- a/rhodecode/tests/rhodecode.ini
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/rhodecode.ini
@@ -464,7 +464,6 @@ sqlalchemy.db1.url = sqlite:///%(here)s/rhodecode_test.db?timeout=30
 sqlalchemy.db1.echo = false
 ## recycle the connections after this amount of seconds
 sqlalchemy.db1.pool_recycle = 3600
-sqlalchemy.db1.convert_unicode = true
 
 ## the number of connections to keep open inside the connection pool.
 ## 0 indicates no limit