diff --git a/lib/mysql.js b/lib/mysql.js
index 9debd5e..f72c72c 100644
--- a/lib/mysql.js
+++ b/lib/mysql.js
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ exports.initialize = function initializeDataSource(dataSource, callback) {
     options.database = s.database;
   }
 
+  // Take other options for mysql driver
+  // See https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-connector-mysql/issues/46
+  for (var p in s) {
+    if (options[p] === undefined) {
+      options[p] = s[p];
+    }
+  }
+
   dataSource.client = mysql.createPool(options);
 
   dataSource.client.on('error', function (err) {
@@ -1027,11 +1035,11 @@ function stringOptionsByType(p, dt) {
     case 'varchar':
       // The maximum length for an ID column is 1000 bytes
       // The maximum row size is 64K
-      var len = p.limit || ((p.type !== String) ? 8192 : p.id ? 255: 1024);
+      var len = p.length || p.limit || ((p.type !== String) ? 4096 : p.id ? 255: 512);
       dt += '(' + len + ')';
       break;
     case 'char':
-      len = p.limit || 255;
+      len = p.length || p.limit || 255;
       dt += '(' + len + ')';
       break;
 
diff --git a/test/migration.test.js b/test/migration.test.js
index 3746346..b23c5e6 100644
--- a/test/migration.test.js
+++ b/test/migration.test.js
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@ describe('migrations', function () {
           Extra: 'auto_increment' },
         email: {
           Field: 'email',
-          Type: 'varchar(1024)',
+          Type: 'varchar(512)',
           Null: 'NO',
           Key: 'MUL',
           Default: null,
           Extra: '' },
         name: {
           Field: 'name',
-          Type: 'varchar(1024)',
+          Type: 'varchar(512)',
           Null: 'YES',
           Key: '',
           Default: null,