diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
index 18ee70aa2e0..c9d4fb1cb43 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
@@ -1524,6 +1524,7 @@ sub ndbcluster_start ($) {
   if ( mtr_run("$glob_mysql_test_dir/ndb/ndbcluster",
 	       ["--port=$opt_ndbcluster_port",
 		"--data-dir=$opt_vardir",
+	        "--character-sets-dir=$path_charsetsdir"],
 		"--verbose=2",
 	        "--core"],
 	       "", "/dev/null", "", "") )
diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh
index aad71f89ef2..54c5ce20047 100644
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh
@@ -1230,7 +1230,7 @@ start_ndbcluster()
     then
       NDBCLUSTER_EXTRA_OPTS="--small"
     fi
-    OPTS="$NDBCLUSTER_OPTS $NDBCLUSTER_EXTRA_OPTS --verbose=$NDB_VERBOSE --initial --relative-config-data-dir --core"
+    OPTS="$NDBCLUSTER_OPTS $NDBCLUSTER_EXTRA_OPTS --character-sets-dir=$CHARSETSDIR --verbose=$NDB_VERBOSE --initial --relative-config-data-dir --core"
     if [ "x$NDB_VERBOSE" != "x0" ] ; then
       echo "Starting master ndbcluster " $OPTS
     fi
diff --git a/mysql-test/ndb/ndbcluster.sh b/mysql-test/ndb/ndbcluster.sh
index 6812067a8ed..d55b53da2ae 100644
--- a/mysql-test/ndb/ndbcluster.sh
+++ b/mysql-test/ndb/ndbcluster.sh
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ VERBOSE=100
 NDB_MGM_EXTRA_OPTS=
 NDB_MGMD_EXTRA_OPTS=
 NDBD_EXTRA_OPTS=
+CHARSETSDIR=
 
 while test $# -gt 0; do
   case "$1" in
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
     --ndbd-extra-opts=*)
      NDBD_EXTRA_OPTS=`echo "$1" | sed -e "s;--ndbd-extra-opts=;;"`
      ;;
+    --character-sets-dir=*)
+     CHARSETSDIR=`echo "$1" | sed -e "s;--character-sets-dir=;;"`
+     ;;
     --core)
      opt_core="--core"
      ;;
@@ -159,7 +163,7 @@ fi
 
 exec_mgmtclient="$exec_mgmtclient --no-defaults $opt_core $NDB_MGM_EXTRA_OPTS"
 exec_mgmtsrvr="$exec_mgmtsrvr --no-defaults $opt_core $NDB_MGMD_EXTRA_OPTS"
-exec_ndb="$exec_ndb --no-defaults $opt_core $NDBD_EXTRA_OPTS"
+exec_ndb="$exec_ndb --no-defaults $opt_core $NDBD_EXTRA_OPTS --character-sets-dir=$CHARSETSDIR"
 exec_waiter="$exec_waiter --no-defaults $opt_core"
 
 ndb_host="localhost"
diff --git a/storage/ndb/include/util/ndb_opts.h b/storage/ndb/include/util/ndb_opts.h
index 787c32f06fd..08ab4a2e9df 100644
--- a/storage/ndb/include/util/ndb_opts.h
+++ b/storage/ndb/include/util/ndb_opts.h
@@ -84,7 +84,10 @@ const char *opt_debug= 0;
     0, GET_STR, REQUIRED_ARG, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 },\
   { "core-file", OPT_WANT_CORE, "Write core on errors.",\
     (gptr*) &opt_core, (gptr*) &opt_core, 0,\
-    GET_BOOL, NO_ARG, OPT_WANT_CORE_DEFAULT, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+    GET_BOOL, NO_ARG, OPT_WANT_CORE_DEFAULT, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},\
+  {"character-sets-dir", OPT_CHARSETS_DIR,\
+     "Directory where character sets are.", (gptr*) &charsets_dir,\
+     (gptr*) &charsets_dir, 0, GET_STR, REQUIRED_ARG, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}\
 
 #ifndef DBUG_OFF
 #define NDB_STD_OPTS(prog_name) \
@@ -111,6 +114,7 @@ enum ndb_std_options {
   OPT_WANT_CORE,
   OPT_NDB_MGMD,
   OPT_NDB_NODEID,
+  OPT_CHARSETS_DIR,
   NDB_STD_OPTIONS_LAST /* should always be last in this enum */
 };