diff --git a/frappe/__init__.py b/frappe/__init__.py
index aa9085f8ba..cb2586b728 100644
--- a/frappe/__init__.py
+++ b/frappe/__init__.py
@@ -202,21 +202,22 @@ def msgprint(msg, small=0, raise_exception=0, as_table=False):
 	:param raise_exception: [optional] Raise given exception and show message.
 	:param as_table: [optional] If `msg` is a list of lists, render as HTML table.
 	"""
+	from utils import cstr, encode
+
 	def _raise_exception():
 		if raise_exception:
 			if flags.rollback_on_exception:
 				db.rollback()
 			import inspect
 			if inspect.isclass(raise_exception) and issubclass(raise_exception, Exception):
-				raise raise_exception, msg
+				raise raise_exception, encode(msg)
 			else:
-				raise ValidationError, msg
+				raise ValidationError, encode(msg)
 
 	if flags.mute_messages:
 		_raise_exception()
 		return
 
-	from utils import cstr
 	if as_table and type(msg) in (list, tuple):
 		msg = '<table border="1px" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="2px">' + ''.join(['<tr>'+''.join(['<td>%s</td>' % c for c in r])+'</tr>' for r in msg]) + '</table>'
 
diff --git a/frappe/custom/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.json b/frappe/custom/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.json
index 9a6bf8e69f..1fcba035b6 100644
--- a/frappe/custom/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.json
+++ b/frappe/custom/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.json
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
    "search_index": 0
   }, 
   {
+   "default": "Data", 
    "fieldname": "fieldtype", 
    "fieldtype": "Select", 
    "in_filter": 1, 
@@ -275,7 +276,7 @@
  ], 
  "icon": "icon-glass", 
  "idx": 1, 
- "modified": "2015-02-05 05:11:36.425019", 
+ "modified": "2015-02-25 03:39:23.573928", 
  "modified_by": "Administrator", 
  "module": "Custom", 
  "name": "Custom Field", 
diff --git a/frappe/desk/notifications.py b/frappe/desk/notifications.py
index c8841d55a8..99db13f790 100644
--- a/frappe/desk/notifications.py
+++ b/frappe/desk/notifications.py
@@ -26,13 +26,20 @@ def get_notifications():
 			if d in notification_count:
 				open_count_doctype[d] = notification_count[d]
 			else:
-				result = frappe.get_list(d, fields=["count(*)"],
-					filters=condition, as_list=True)[0][0]
+				try:
+					result = frappe.get_list(d, fields=["count(*)"],
+						filters=condition, as_list=True)[0][0]
 
-				open_count_doctype[d] = result
+				except Exception, e:
+					# OperationalError: (1412, 'Table definition has changed, please retry transaction')
+					if e.args[0]!=1412:
+						raise
 
-				cache.set_value("notification_count:" + frappe.session.user + ":" + d,
-					result)
+				else:
+					open_count_doctype[d] = result
+
+					cache.set_value("notification_count:" + frappe.session.user + ":" + d,
+						result)
 
 	for m in config.for_module:
 		if m in notification_count:
diff --git a/frappe/model/db_schema.py b/frappe/model/db_schema.py
index 253fbb3450..1ec7eb2727 100644
--- a/frappe/model/db_schema.py
+++ b/frappe/model/db_schema.py
@@ -402,12 +402,12 @@ class DbManager:
 
 def validate_column_name(n):
 	n = n.replace(' ','_').strip().lower()
-	if re.search("[\W]", n, re.UNICODE):
-		frappe.throw(_("Fieldname {0} cannot contain letters, numbers or spaces").format(n), InvalidColumnName)
+	special_characters = re.findall("[\W]", n, re.UNICODE)
+	if special_characters:
+		special_characters = ", ".join('"{0}"'.format(c) for c in special_characters)
+		frappe.throw(_("Fieldname {0} cannot have special characters like {1}").format(cstr(n), special_characters), InvalidColumnName)
 	return n
 
-
-
 def remove_all_foreign_keys():
 	frappe.db.sql("set foreign_key_checks = 0")
 	frappe.db.commit()