diff --git a/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php b/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php
index 877bbf2e0f..5f71f716b3 100644
--- a/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php
+++ b/classes/Memcached_DataObject.php
@@ -227,20 +227,4 @@ class Memcached_DataObject extends DB_DataObject
         $c->set($ckey, $cached, MEMCACHE_COMPRESSED, $expiry);
         return new ArrayWrapper($cached);
     }
-
-    // We overload so that 'SET NAMES "utf8"' is called for
-    // each connection
-
-    function _connect()
-    {
-        global $_DB_DATAOBJECT;
-        $exists = !empty($this->_database_dsn_md5) &&
-          isset($_DB_DATAOBJECT['CONNECTIONS'][$this->_database_dsn_md5]);
-        $result = parent::_connect();
-        if (!$exists) {
-            $DB = &$_DB_DATAOBJECT['CONNECTIONS'][$this->_database_dsn_md5];
-            $DB->query('SET NAMES "utf8"');
-        }
-        return $result;
-    }
 }