diff --git a/database/database.mysql b/database/database.mysql
index d3c133e2170e22e547bfe61d1fb66208f9a7f789..b1e8c2a35371fa1449cb7b4db3fb54f505003d49 100644
--- a/database/database.mysql
+++ b/database/database.mysql
@@ -208,15 +208,15 @@ CREATE TABLE item (
 CREATE TABLE locales (
   lid int(10) NOT NULL auto_increment,
   location varchar(128) NOT NULL default '',
-  string text NOT NULL,
-  da text NOT NULL,
-  fi text NOT NULL,
-  fr text NOT NULL,
-  en text NOT NULL,
-  es text NOT NULL,
-  nl text NOT NULL,
-  no text NOT NULL,
-  sw text NOT NULL,
+  string blob NOT NULL,
+  da blob NOT NULL,
+  fi blob NOT NULL,
+  fr blob NOT NULL,
+  en blob NOT NULL,
+  es blob NOT NULL,
+  nl blob NOT NULL,
+  no blob NOT NULL,
+  sw blob NOT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY  (lid)
 ) TYPE=MyISAM;
 
diff --git a/update.php b/update.php
index c949e2bbfffd07961fbf9d420ed7576308755c65..1a6efa58658b3217de209f4e6a22680e931707fb 100644
--- a/update.php
+++ b/update.php
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@
   "2003-01-15" => "update_50",
   "2003-04-19" => "update_51",
   "2003-04-20" => "update_52",
-  "2003-05-18" => "update_53"
+  "2003-05-18" => "update_53",
+  "2003-05-24" => "update_54"
 );
 
 // Update functions
@@ -709,6 +710,10 @@ function update_53() {
   update_sql("CREATE INDEX book_parent ON book(parent);");
 }
 
+function update_54() {
+  update_sql("ALTER TABLE locales CHANGE string string BLOB DEFAULT '' NOT NULL");
+}
+
 function update_upgrade3() {
   update_sql("INSERT INTO system VALUES ('archive.module','archive','module','',1)");
   update_sql("INSERT INTO system VALUES ('block.module','block','module','',1)");