diff --git a/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs b/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs
--- a/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs
+++ b/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs
@@ -703,10 +703,12 @@
 
 
 -- | Escape a database name to be included on a query.
---
--- FIXME: Can we do better here?
 escapeDBName :: DBName -> String
-escapeDBName (DBName s) = T.unpack s
+escapeDBName (DBName s) = '`' : go (T.unpack s)
+    where
+      go ('`':xs) = '`' : '`' : go xs
+      go ( x :xs) =     x     : go xs
+      go ""       = "`"
 
 -- | Information required to connect to a MySQL database
 -- using @persistent@'s generic facilities.  These values are the
diff --git a/persistent-mysql.cabal b/persistent-mysql.cabal
--- a/persistent-mysql.cabal
+++ b/persistent-mysql.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            persistent-mysql
-version:         0.8.0
+version:         0.8.1
 license:         BSD3
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Felipe Lessa <felipe.lessa@gmail.com>, Michael Snoyman