diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 42404637d..7acf06212 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ $Id$
   thanks to Piotr Przybylski  - crackpl
 - bug [password] Generate password only available if JS is enabled
   (fixed for Privileges and Change password)
+- [core] RecodingEngine now accepts none as valid option.
 
 3.3.6.0 (not yet released)
 
diff --git a/Documentation.html b/Documentation.html
index 63705ca4c..d6e2b6fdf 100644
--- a/Documentation.html
+++ b/Documentation.html
@@ -1702,6 +1702,7 @@ CREATE DATABASE,ALTER DATABASE,DROP DATABASE</pre>
                 iconv, then recode)</li>
             <li>iconv  - use iconv or libiconv functions</li>
             <li>recode - use recode_string function</li>
+            <li>none - disable encoding conversion</li>
         </ul>
         Default is auto.</dd>
 
diff --git a/libraries/charset_conversion.lib.php b/libraries/charset_conversion.lib.php
index ed44a6493..222b4f3d8 100644
--- a/libraries/charset_conversion.lib.php
+++ b/libraries/charset_conversion.lib.php
@@ -33,14 +33,16 @@ if (isset($cfg['AllowAnywhereRecoding'])
             PMA_failRecoding();
         }
         $PMA_recoding_engine             = 'iconv';
-    } else {
+    } elseif ($cfg['RecodingEngine'] == 'auto') {
         if (@extension_loaded('iconv')) {
             $PMA_recoding_engine         = 'iconv';
         } elseif (@extension_loaded('recode')) {
             $PMA_recoding_engine         = 'recode';
         } else {
-            PMA_failRecoding();
+            $PMA_recoding_engine         = 'none';
         }
+    } else {
+        $PMA_recoding_engine         = 'none';
     }
 } // end load recode/iconv extension
 
diff --git a/libraries/config.default.php b/libraries/config.default.php
index 7d7d0844b..73e241ee4 100644
--- a/libraries/config.default.php
+++ b/libraries/config.default.php
@@ -1967,6 +1967,7 @@ $cfg['AllowAnywhereRecoding'] = false;
  *               recode)
  *      iconv  - use iconv or libiconv functions
  *      recode - use recode_string function
+ *      none   - disable encoding conversion
  *
  * @global string $cfg['RecodingEngine']
  */
diff --git a/setup/lib/config_info.inc.php b/setup/lib/config_info.inc.php
index 3d95641c7..afc124ac6 100644
--- a/setup/lib/config_info.inc.php
+++ b/setup/lib/config_info.inc.php
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ $cfg_db['Servers'] = array(1 => array(
     'AllowDeny'    => array(
         'order'    => array('', 'deny,allow', 'allow,deny', 'explicit')),
     'only_db'      => 'array'));
-$cfg_db['RecodingEngine'] = array('auto', 'iconv', 'recode');
+$cfg_db['RecodingEngine'] = array('auto', 'iconv', 'recode', 'none');
 $cfg_db['OBGzip'] = array('auto', true, false);
 $cfg_db['ShowTooltipAliasTB'] = array('nested', true, false);
 $cfg_db['DisplayDatabasesList'] = array('auto', true, false);