diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 10132aea9..f000a6fa5 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ $HeadURL: https://phpmyadmin.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/phpmyadmin/trunk/phpMyA
   Bertrand
 - patch #1821154, HTTP authentication: fix auth working with php/mod_fastcgi,
   thanks to yarodin
+- wrong default charset in case of broken session
 
 2.11.2.0 (2007-10-27)
 - patch #1791576 HTTP auth: support REDIRECT_REMOTE_USER, thanks to Allard
diff --git a/libraries/select_lang.lib.php b/libraries/select_lang.lib.php
index 6779628b8..454c44e30 100644
--- a/libraries/select_lang.lib.php
+++ b/libraries/select_lang.lib.php
@@ -414,8 +414,9 @@ if (empty($GLOBALS['convcharset'])) {
     if (isset($_COOKIE['pma_charset'])) {
         $GLOBALS['convcharset'] = $_COOKIE['pma_charset'];
     } else {
-        // session.save_path might point to a bad folder
-        $convcharset = isset($GLOBALS['cfg']['DefaultCharset']) ? $GLOBALS['cfg']['DefaultCharset'] : 'en-utf-8';
+        // session.save_path might point to a bad folder, in which case
+        // $GLOBALS['cfg'] would not exist
+        $convcharset = isset($GLOBALS['cfg']['DefaultCharset']) ? $GLOBALS['cfg']['DefaultCharset'] : 'utf-8';
     }
 }