diff --git a/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_database.rb b/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_database.rb
index d88570c42..c21e6e634 100644
--- a/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_database.rb
+++ b/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_database.rb
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ module Fog
           data = {
             'databases' => [{
               'name' => name,
-              'character_set' => options[:character_set],
-              'collate' => options[:collate]
+              'character_set' => options[:character_set] || 'utf8',
+              'collate' => options[:collate] || 'utf8_general_ci'
             }]
           }
 
diff --git a/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_instance.rb b/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_instance.rb
index d7b342729..960d5131a 100644
--- a/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_instance.rb
+++ b/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_instance.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ module Fog
               'flavorRef' => flavor_id,
               'volume' => {
                 'size' => volume_size
-              }
+              },
+              'databases' => [
+              ]
             }
           }
 
diff --git a/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_user.rb b/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_user.rb
index e93e940c2..d197a3ee3 100644
--- a/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_user.rb
+++ b/lib/fog/rackspace/requests/databases/create_user.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module Fog
             'users' => [{
               'name' => name,
               'password' => password,
-              'databases' => options[:databases]
+              'databases' => options[:databases] || []
             }]
           }