diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7c15f64..65bac5e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ CREATE TABLE event_outbox (
     publish_at DATETIME(6)  NOT NULL,
     INDEX idx_event_outbox_status_publish (status, publish_at),
     INDEX idx_event_outbox_created_at (created_at)
-);
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
 
 -- Audit trail: one row per event status transition (pending → processing → processed)
 CREATE TABLE event_outbox_status (
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ CREATE TABLE event_outbox_status (
     error_message TEXT,
     created_at    DATETIME(6)  NOT NULL,
     INDEX idx_event_outbox_status_event_created (event_id, created_at DESC)
-);
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
 ```
 
 **Option 2 — call the shipped `Schema::create()` helper at boot.** Convenient for prototypes, single-app deployments, or projects without their own migration tool. The helper is idempotent (`CREATE … IF NOT EXISTS` on SQLite, `information_schema` check on MySQL), so it's safe to call on every boot — but be aware: if the host application also runs migrations, this can race with them. Prefer Option 1 in that case.
diff --git a/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox.sql b/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox.sql
index e541aca..9fa503c 100644
--- a/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox.sql
+++ b/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox.sql
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ CREATE TABLE event_outbox (
 
     INDEX idx_event_outbox_status_publish (status, publish_at),
     INDEX idx_event_outbox_created_at (created_at)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
 
 CREATE TABLE event_outbox_status (
     event_id      VARCHAR(36) NOT NULL,
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ CREATE TABLE event_outbox_status (
     created_at    DATETIME(6) NOT NULL,
 
     INDEX idx_event_outbox_status_event_created (event_id, created_at DESC)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
diff --git a/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox_redelivery.sql b/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox_redelivery.sql
index b033181..ea09e3a 100644
--- a/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox_redelivery.sql
+++ b/migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox_redelivery.sql
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ CREATE TABLE event_outbox_redelivery (
     PRIMARY KEY (event_id, listener),
     INDEX idx_redelivery_due (status, next_retry_at),
     INDEX idx_redelivery_event_id (event_id)
-) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
diff --git a/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlEventStoreSchema.php b/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlEventStoreSchema.php
index 603e04d..8ea65b4 100644
--- a/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlEventStoreSchema.php
+++ b/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlEventStoreSchema.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public static function create(PDO $connection): void
 
                         INDEX idx_event_outbox_status_publish (status, publish_at),
                         INDEX idx_event_outbox_created_at (created_at)
-                    ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
+                    ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
                 SQL,
         );
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public static function create(PDO $connection): void
                         created_at    DATETIME(6) NOT NULL,
 
                         INDEX idx_event_outbox_status_event_created (event_id, created_at DESC)
-                    ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
+                    ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
                 SQL,
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlRedeliverySchema.php b/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlRedeliverySchema.php
index d241daa..d7c14a2 100644
--- a/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlRedeliverySchema.php
+++ b/src/Infrastructure/Schema/MysqlRedeliverySchema.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public static function create(PDO $connection): void
                         PRIMARY KEY (event_id, listener),
                         INDEX idx_redelivery_due (status, next_retry_at),
                         INDEX idx_redelivery_event_id (event_id)
-                    ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;
+                    ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
                 SQL,
         );
     }
diff --git a/tests/Feature/MysqlSchemaCollationTest.php b/tests/Feature/MysqlSchemaCollationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e258d6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/MysqlSchemaCollationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Test\Vesper\Tool\Event\Feature;
+
+use PDO;
+use PDOException;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use Vesper\Tool\Event\Infrastructure\Schema\MysqlEventStoreSchema;
+use Vesper\Tool\Event\Infrastructure\Schema\MysqlRedeliverySchema;
+
+/**
+ * Regression test: SqlRedeliveryStore::fetchNextDueRow joins event_outbox_redelivery to
+ * event_outbox on the event id and listener columns. If those columns inherit different
+ * collations from the schema/server default at table-creation time, MySQL 8 raises
+ * SQLSTATE 1267 "Illegal mix of collations" when the join runs. The schema templates and
+ * boot-time helpers pin the join keys to utf8mb4_unicode_ci so the join always works
+ * regardless of the surrounding database default.
+ *
+ * Requires a MySQL DSN in the EVENTS_MYSQL_DSN env var (with optional EVENTS_MYSQL_USER /
+ * EVENTS_MYSQL_PASSWORD). Skipped when unavailable.
+ */
+class MysqlSchemaCollationTest extends TestCase
+{
+    private const REQUIRED_COLLATION = 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci';
+
+    private const JOIN_KEY_COLUMNS = [
+        'event_outbox' => ['id'],
+        'event_outbox_status' => ['event_id'],
+        'event_outbox_redelivery' => ['event_id', 'listener'],
+    ];
+
+    private PDO $pdo;
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        $dsn = getenv('EVENTS_MYSQL_DSN');
+
+        if ($dsn === false || $dsn === '') {
+            self::markTestSkipped('Set EVENTS_MYSQL_DSN to a MySQL DSN to exercise this test.');
+        }
+
+        $user = getenv('EVENTS_MYSQL_USER') ?: null;
+        $password = getenv('EVENTS_MYSQL_PASSWORD') ?: null;
+
+        try {
+            $this->pdo = new PDO($dsn, $user, $password);
+        } catch (PDOException $e) {
+            self::markTestSkipped('MySQL unavailable: ' . $e->getMessage());
+        }
+
+        $this->pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
+
+        $this->dropTables();
+    }
+
+    protected function tearDown(): void
+    {
+        if (isset($this->pdo)) {
+            $this->dropTables();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function test_migration_templates_pin_join_keys_to_utf8mb4_unicode_ci(): void
+    {
+        $this->pdo->exec((string) file_get_contents(__DIR__ . '/../../migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox.sql'));
+        $this->pdo->exec((string) file_get_contents(__DIR__ . '/../../migrations/mysql/0001_create_event_outbox_redelivery.sql'));
+
+        $this->assertJoinKeyCollations();
+    }
+
+    public function test_boot_time_schema_helpers_pin_join_keys_to_utf8mb4_unicode_ci(): void
+    {
+        MysqlEventStoreSchema::create($this->pdo);
+        MysqlRedeliverySchema::create($this->pdo);
+
+        $this->assertJoinKeyCollations();
+    }
+
+    private function assertJoinKeyCollations(): void
+    {
+        foreach (self::JOIN_KEY_COLUMNS as $table => $columns) {
+            foreach ($columns as $column) {
+                self::assertSame(
+                    self::REQUIRED_COLLATION,
+                    $this->collationOf($table, $column),
+                    "{$table}.{$column} must use " . self::REQUIRED_COLLATION,
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private function collationOf(string $table, string $column): string
+    {
+        $stmt = $this->pdo->prepare(
+            <<<SQL
+                    SELECT collation_name
+                    FROM information_schema.columns
+                    WHERE table_schema = DATABASE()
+                      AND table_name = :table
+                      AND column_name = :column
+                SQL,
+        );
+        $stmt->execute(['table' => $table, 'column' => $column]);
+
+        $collation = $stmt->fetchColumn();
+
+        self::assertIsString($collation, "Column {$table}.{$column} not found");
+
+        return $collation;
+    }
+
+    private function dropTables(): void
+    {
+        foreach (array_keys(self::JOIN_KEY_COLUMNS) as $table) {
+            $this->pdo->exec("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {$table}");
+        }
+    }
+}