diff --git a/client/auth.go b/client/auth.go
index e4fa908d3..7392f8fdd 100644
--- a/client/auth.go
+++ b/client/auth.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/pkg/parser/charset"
 
 	. "github.com/go-mysql-org/go-mysql/mysql"
 	"github.com/go-mysql-org/go-mysql/packet"
@@ -269,7 +270,16 @@ func (c *Conn) writeAuthHandshake() error {
 
 	// Charset [1 byte]
 	// use default collation id 33 here, is utf-8
-	data[12] = DEFAULT_COLLATION_ID
+	collationName := c.collation
+	if len(collationName) == 0 {
+		collationName = DEFAULT_COLLATION_NAME
+	}
+	collation, err := charset.GetCollationByName(collationName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid collation name %s", collationName)
+	}
+
+	data[12] = byte(collation.ID)
 
 	// SSL Connection Request Packet
 	// http://dev.mysql.com/doc/internals/en/connection-phase-packets.html#packet-Protocol::SSLRequest
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index c47c795ef..b27c4c669 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ func TestClientSuite(t *testing.T) {
 func (s *clientTestSuite) SetupSuite() {
 	var err error
 	addr := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", *test_util.MysqlHost, s.port)
-	s.c, err = Connect(addr, *testUser, *testPassword, "")
+	s.c, err = Connect(addr, *testUser, *testPassword, "", func(conn *Conn) {
+		// test the collation logic, but this is essentially a no-op since
+		// the collation set is the default value
+		_ = conn.SetCollation(mysql.DEFAULT_COLLATION_NAME)
+	})
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 
 	var result *mysql.Result
@@ -228,6 +232,21 @@ func (s *clientTestSuite) TestConn_SetCharset() {
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 }
 
+func (s *clientTestSuite) TestConn_SetCollationAfterConnect() {
+	err := s.c.SetCollation("latin1_swedish_ci")
+	require.Error(s.T(), err)
+}
+
+func (s *clientTestSuite) TestConn_SetCollation() {
+	addr := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", *test_util.MysqlHost, s.port)
+	_, err := Connect(addr, *testUser, *testPassword, "", func(conn *Conn) {
+		// test the collation logic
+		_ = conn.SetCollation("invalid_collation")
+	})
+
+	require.Error(s.T(), err)
+}
+
 func (s *clientTestSuite) testStmt_DropTable() {
 	str := `drop table if exists mixer_test_stmt`
 
diff --git a/client/conn.go b/client/conn.go
index b1f3e52d1..1db021762 100644
--- a/client/conn.go
+++ b/client/conn.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ type Conn struct {
 	status uint16
 
 	charset string
+	// sets the collation to be set on the auth handshake, this does not issue a 'set names' command
+	collation string
 
 	salt           []byte
 	authPluginName string
@@ -357,6 +359,20 @@ func (c *Conn) SetCharset(charset string) error {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *Conn) SetCollation(collation string) error {
+	if c.status == 0 {
+		c.collation = collation
+	} else {
+		return errors.Trace(errors.Errorf("cannot set collation after connection is established"))
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Conn) GetCollation() string {
+	return c.collation
+}
+
 func (c *Conn) FieldList(table string, wildcard string) ([]*Field, error) {
 	if err := c.writeCommandStrStr(COM_FIELD_LIST, table, wildcard); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Trace(err)