diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index 1819817871..c72f8c8bf5 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ require_once('include/features.php');
 define ( 'FRIENDICA_PLATFORM',     'Friendica');
 define ( 'FRIENDICA_VERSION',      '3.2.1753' );
 define ( 'DFRN_PROTOCOL_VERSION',  '2.23'    );
-define ( 'DB_UPDATE_VERSION',      1171      );
+define ( 'DB_UPDATE_VERSION',      1173      );
 define ( 'EOL',                    "<br />\r\n"     );
 define ( 'ATOM_TIME',              'Y-m-d\TH:i:s\Z' );
 
diff --git a/database.sql b/database.sql
index 0d45dda106..cbf8933f3d 100644
--- a/database.sql
+++ b/database.sql
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `intro` (
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `item` (
   `id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
-  `guid` char(64) NOT NULL,
+  `guid` char(255) NOT NULL,
   `uri` char(255) CHARACTER SET ascii NOT NULL,
   `uid` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   `contact-id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
diff --git a/include/dbstructure.php b/include/dbstructure.php
index 1f604ae6e8..654dd7492d 100644
--- a/include/dbstructure.php
+++ b/include/dbstructure.php
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ function db_definition() {
 	$database["guid"] = array(
 			"fields" => array(
 					"id" => array("type" => "int(10) unsigned", "not null" => "1", "extra" => "auto_increment", "primary" => "1"),
-					"guid" => array("type" => "varchar(64)", "not null" => "1"),
+					"guid" => array("type" => "varchar(255)", "not null" => "1"),
 					),
 			"indexes" => array(
 					"PRIMARY" => array("id"),
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ function db_definition() {
 	$database["item"] = array(
 			"fields" => array(
 					"id" => array("type" => "int(10) unsigned", "not null" => "1", "extra" => "auto_increment", "primary" => "1"),
-					"guid" => array("type" => "varchar(64)", "not null" => "1"),
+					"guid" => array("type" => "varchar(255)", "not null" => "1"),
 					"uri" => array("type" => "varchar(255)", "not null" => "1"),
 					"uid" => array("type" => "int(10) unsigned", "not null" => "1", "default" => "0"),
 					"contact-id" => array("type" => "int(11)", "not null" => "1"),
diff --git a/update.php b/update.php
index ada6edbb37..78b66fe006 100644
--- a/update.php
+++ b/update.php
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 
-define( 'UPDATE_VERSION' , 1171 );
+define( 'UPDATE_VERSION' , 1173 );
 
 /**
  *
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ define( 'UPDATE_VERSION' , 1171 );
  *    3. Increment the DB_UPDATE_VERSION in boot.php *AND* the UPDATE_VERSION in this file to match it
  *    4. TEST the upgrade prior to checkin and filing a pull request.
  *
+ * IMPORTANT!
+ * NEVER do a database change anymore in the update functions! Only do this in the file include/dbstructure.php!
  */
 
 
@@ -1599,3 +1601,27 @@ function update_1169() {
 
 	return UPDATE_SUCCESS;
 }
+
+function update_1170() {
+	$r = q("ALTER TABLE `guid` CHANGE `guid` `guid` VARCHAR( 255 ) CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci NOT NULL");
+	if (!$r)
+		return UPDATE_FAILED;
+	return UPDATE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+function update_1171() {
+	$r = q("ALTER TABLE `item` CHANGE `guid` `guid` VARCHAR( 255 ) CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci NOT NULL");
+	if (!$r)
+		return UPDATE_FAILED;
+	return UPDATE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/*
+==========
+ATTENTION!
+==========
+
+All following update functions are ONLY for jobs that need to run AFTER the database changes are applied.
+
+Database changes are ONLY applied in the file include/dbstructure.php.
+*/