diff --git a/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.py b/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.py
index 2c2adb92bf..e848481a6d 100644
--- a/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.py
+++ b/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/custom_field.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ from frappe import _
 from frappe.model.document import Document
 
 class CustomField(Document):
-
 	def autoname(self):
 		self.set_fieldname()
 		self.name = self.dt + "-" + self.fieldname
@@ -40,9 +39,9 @@ class CustomField(Document):
 		self.create_property_setter()
 
 		# update the schema
-		if not frappe.flags.in_test:
-			from frappe.model.db_schema import updatedb
-			updatedb(self.dt)
+		# if not frappe.flags.in_test:
+		from frappe.model.db_schema import updatedb
+		updatedb(self.dt)
 
 	def on_trash(self):
 		# delete property setter entries
diff --git a/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/test_custom_field.py b/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/test_custom_field.py
index ad4def6175..9ddacbe294 100644
--- a/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/test_custom_field.py
+++ b/frappe/core/doctype/custom_field/test_custom_field.py
@@ -1,10 +1,31 @@
+#  -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 # Copyright (c) 2013, Web Notes Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Contributors
 # See license.txt
 
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import frappe
 import unittest
 
 test_records = frappe.get_test_records('Custom Field')
 
+from frappe.model.db_schema import InvalidColumnName
+
 class TestCustomField(unittest.TestCase):
-	pass
+	def test_non_ascii(self):
+		cf = frappe.get_doc({
+			"doctype":"Custom Field",
+			"dt": "ToDo",
+			"fieldtype": "Data",
+			"fieldname": "δου"
+		})
+
+		self.assertRaises(InvalidColumnName, cf.insert)
+
+		# todo = frappe.get_doc({
+		# 	"doctype": "ToDo",
+		# 	"description": "test",
+		# 	"δου": "greek"
+		# })
+		# todo.insert()
diff --git a/frappe/database.py b/frappe/database.py
index d40bf90cb8..bb3085c038 100644
--- a/frappe/database.py
+++ b/frappe/database.py
@@ -556,4 +556,6 @@ class Database:
 			self._conn = None
 
 	def escape(self, s):
-		return unicode(MySQLdb.escape_string((s or "").encode("utf-8")), "utf-8")
+		if isinstance(s, unicode):
+			s = (s or "").encode("utf-8")
+		return unicode(MySQLdb.escape_string(s), "utf-8")
diff --git a/frappe/model/db_schema.py b/frappe/model/db_schema.py
index 5c11f6f742..e4e370f4ab 100644
--- a/frappe/model/db_schema.py
+++ b/frappe/model/db_schema.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import frappe
 from frappe import _
 from frappe.utils import cstr, cint
 
+class InvalidColumnName(frappe.ValidationError): pass
+
 type_map = {
 	'Currency':		('decimal', '18,6')
 	,'Int':			('int', '11')
@@ -373,7 +375,7 @@ def validate_column_name(n):
 	n = n.replace(' ','_').strip().lower()
 	import re
 	if re.search("[\W]", n):
-		frappe.throw(_("Fieldname {0} cannot contain letters, numbers or spaces").format(n))
+		frappe.throw(_("Fieldname {0} cannot contain letters, numbers or spaces").format(n), InvalidColumnName)
 	return n
 
 
diff --git a/frappe/tests/test_db.py b/frappe/tests/test_db.py
index f7de01066e..be0e5fcca6 100644
--- a/frappe/tests/test_db.py
+++ b/frappe/tests/test_db.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#  -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 # Copyright (c) 2013, Web Notes Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Contributors
 # MIT License. See license.txt
 
@@ -14,3 +16,6 @@ class TestDB(unittest.TestCase):
 		self.assertEquals(frappe.db.get_value("User", {"name": ["<=", "Administrator"]}), "Administrator")
 		self.assertEquals("test1@example.com", frappe.db.get_value("User", {"name": [">", "s"]}))
 		self.assertEquals("test1@example.com", frappe.db.get_value("User", {"name": [">=", "t"]}))
+
+	def test_escape(self):
+		frappe.db.escape("香港濟生堂製藥有限公司 - IT".encode("utf-8"))
diff --git a/frappe/utils/data.py b/frappe/utils/data.py
index 7d69f2bef4..952c6bf900 100644
--- a/frappe/utils/data.py
+++ b/frappe/utils/data.py
@@ -165,9 +165,12 @@ def formatdate(string_date=None, format_string=None):
 
 		out = frappe.local.user_format or "yyyy-mm-dd"
 
-		return out.replace("dd", date.strftime("%d"))\
-			.replace("mm", date.strftime("%m"))\
-			.replace("yyyy", date.strftime("%Y"))
+		try:
+			return out.replace("dd", date.strftime("%d"))\
+				.replace("mm", date.strftime("%m"))\
+				.replace("yyyy", date.strftime("%Y"))
+		except ValueError, e:
+			raise frappe.ValidationError, str(e)
 
 def global_date_format(date):
 	"""returns date as 1 January 2012"""