diff --git a/src/ORM/Connect/MySQLDatabase.php b/src/ORM/Connect/MySQLDatabase.php
index c1900488519..ebecab41749 100644
--- a/src/ORM/Connect/MySQLDatabase.php
+++ b/src/ORM/Connect/MySQLDatabase.php
@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ class MySQLDatabase extends Database implements TransactionManager
      */
     private static $charset = 'utf8';
 
+    /**
+     * SQL Mode used on connections to MySQL. Defaults to ANSI. For basic ORM
+     * compatibility, this setting must always include ANSI or ANSI_QUOTES.
+     *
+     * @config
+     * @var string
+     */
+    private static $sql_mode = 'ANSI';
+
+
     /**
      * Cache for getTransactionManager()
      *
@@ -84,8 +94,8 @@ public function connect($parameters)
         // Notify connector of parameters
         $this->connector->connect($parameters);
 
-        // This is important!
-        $this->setSQLMode('ANSI');
+        // Set sql_mode
+        $this->setSQLMode(static::config()->get('sql_mode'));
 
         if (isset($parameters['timezone'])) {
             $this->selectTimezone($parameters['timezone']);