diff --git a/plugins/Factoids/plugin.py b/plugins/Factoids/plugin.py
index 6f2b456ac..78b008795 100644
--- a/plugins/Factoids/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/Factoids/plugin.py
@@ -217,8 +217,10 @@ class Factoids(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
     def makeDb(self, filename):
         if os.path.exists(filename):
             db = sqlite3.connect(filename)
+            db.text_factory = str
             return db
         db = sqlite3.connect(filename)
+        db.text_factory = str
         cursor = db.cursor()
         cursor.execute("""CREATE TABLE keys (
                           id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
diff --git a/plugins/Karma/plugin.py b/plugins/Karma/plugin.py
index 961022b17..0fb169fb1 100644
--- a/plugins/Karma/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/Karma/plugin.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class SqliteKarmaDB(object):
             return self.dbs[filename]
         if os.path.exists(filename):
             db = sqlite3.connect(filename, check_same_thread=False)
+            db.text_factory = str
             self.dbs[filename] = db
             return db
         db = sqlite3.connect(filename, check_same_thread=False)
diff --git a/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py b/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py
index c224ae12b..821846894 100644
--- a/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py
@@ -80,8 +80,10 @@ class MessageParser(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
         """Create the database and connect to it."""
         if os.path.exists(filename):
             db = sqlite3.connect(filename)
+            db.text_factory = str
             return db
         db = sqlite3.connect(filename)
+        db.text_factory = str
         cursor = db.cursor()
         cursor.execute("""CREATE TABLE triggers (
                           id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
diff --git a/plugins/MoobotFactoids/plugin.py b/plugins/MoobotFactoids/plugin.py
index 7b9095dd9..cff4186ad 100755
--- a/plugins/MoobotFactoids/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/MoobotFactoids/plugin.py
@@ -106,9 +106,11 @@ class SqliteMoobotDB(object):
         
         if os.path.exists(filename):
             db = sqlite3.connect(filename, check_same_thread=False)
+            db.text_factory = str
             self.dbs[channel] = db
             return db
         db = sqlite3.connect(filename, check_same_thread=False)
+        db.text_factory = str
         self.dbs[channel] = db
         cursor = db.cursor()
         cursor.execute("""CREATE TABLE factoids (
diff --git a/plugins/QuoteGrabs/plugin.py b/plugins/QuoteGrabs/plugin.py
index 25ed5ff38..0682d0177 100644
--- a/plugins/QuoteGrabs/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/QuoteGrabs/plugin.py
@@ -82,10 +82,12 @@ class SqliteQuoteGrabsDB(object):
             return self.dbs[filename]
         if os.path.exists(filename):
             db = sqlite3.connect(filename)
+            db.text_factory = str
             db.create_function('nickeq', 2, p)
             self.dbs[filename] = db
             return db
         db = sqlite3.connect(filename)
+        db.text_factory = str
         db.create_function('nickeq', 2, p)
         self.dbs[filename] = db
         cursor = db.cursor()