diff --git a/Bugzilla/DB/MariaDB.pm b/Bugzilla/DB/MariaDB.pm
index 5db175ef2..60e242812 100644
--- a/Bugzilla/DB/MariaDB.pm
+++ b/Bugzilla/DB/MariaDB.pm
@@ -655,14 +655,19 @@ sub bz_setup_database {
   if (Bugzilla->params->{'utf8'} && $non_utf8_tables) {
     print "\n", install_string('mysql_utf8_conversion');
 
-    if (!Bugzilla->installation_answers->{NO_PAUSE}) {
-      if (Bugzilla->installation_mode == INSTALLATION_MODE_NON_INTERACTIVE) {
-        die install_string('continue_without_answers'), "\n";
-      }
-      else {
-        print "\n         " . install_string('enter_or_ctrl_c');
-        getc;
-      }
+    my $allow_unsafe_utf8_conversion
+      = Bugzilla->installation_answers->{ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION};
+    if ($allow_unsafe_utf8_conversion) {
+      print "\n"
+        . install_string('continuing_with_unsafe_utf8_conversion')
+        . "\n";
+    }
+    elsif (Bugzilla->installation_mode == INSTALLATION_MODE_NON_INTERACTIVE) {
+      die install_string('continue_without_answers'), "\n";
+    }
+    else {
+      print "\n         " . install_string('enter_or_ctrl_c');
+      getc;
     }
 
     print
diff --git a/Bugzilla/DB/Mysql.pm b/Bugzilla/DB/Mysql.pm
index 214618031..ef8665472 100644
--- a/Bugzilla/DB/Mysql.pm
+++ b/Bugzilla/DB/Mysql.pm
@@ -657,14 +657,19 @@ sub bz_setup_database {
   if (Bugzilla->params->{'utf8'} && $non_utf8_tables) {
     print "\n", install_string('mysql_utf8_conversion');
 
-    if (!Bugzilla->installation_answers->{NO_PAUSE}) {
-      if (Bugzilla->installation_mode == INSTALLATION_MODE_NON_INTERACTIVE) {
-        die install_string('continue_without_answers'), "\n";
-      }
-      else {
-        print "\n         " . install_string('enter_or_ctrl_c');
-        getc;
-      }
+    my $allow_unsafe_utf8_conversion
+      = Bugzilla->installation_answers->{ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION};
+    if ($allow_unsafe_utf8_conversion) {
+      print "\n"
+        . install_string('continuing_with_unsafe_utf8_conversion')
+        . "\n";
+    }
+    elsif (Bugzilla->installation_mode == INSTALLATION_MODE_NON_INTERACTIVE) {
+      die install_string('continue_without_answers'), "\n";
+    }
+    else {
+      print "\n         " . install_string('enter_or_ctrl_c');
+      getc;
     }
 
     print
diff --git a/conf/checksetup_answers.txt b/conf/checksetup_answers.txt
index 2c8e7e6b7..aa32e9c60 100644
--- a/conf/checksetup_answers.txt
+++ b/conf/checksetup_answers.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ $answer{'ADMIN_PASSWORD'}       = 'password01!';
 $answer{'passwdqc_min'}         = '8, 8, 8, 8, 8';
 $answer{'ADMIN_REALNAME'}       = 'Vagrant User';
 $answer{'NO_PAUSE'}             = 1;
+$answer{'ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION'}
+	= $ENV{'BZ_ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION'} ? 1 : 0;
 $answer{'size_limit'}           = 750000;
 $answer{'bugzilla_version'}     = '1';
 $answer{'create_htaccess'}      = '1';
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 33cf6f391..8d835c175 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ services:
       - BMO_ses_password=password123456789!
       - BMO_urlbase=http://127.0.0.1:8000/
       - BUGZILLA_ALLOW_INSECURE_HTTP=1
+      - BZ_ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION=${BZ_ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION:-0}
       - BZ_ANSWERS_FILE=/app/conf/checksetup_answers.txt
       - HTTP_BACKEND=morbo
       - LOCALCONFIG_ENV=1
diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
index 80a8d51f0..8ceb50d02 100644
--- a/docker/README.md
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@ Currently, the entry point takes a single command argument. This can be
     This should never be set in production. It allows auth delegation
     and oauth over http.
 
+  - BZ\_ALLOW\_UNSAFE\_UTF8\_CONVERSION
+    Controls whether checksetup may proceed with the database UTF-8
+    conversion in non-interactive mode. Default: 0.
+
+    Set this to 1 only when you explicitly approve the conversion and
+    have a database backup. For example:
+    `BZ_ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION=1 docker compose up`
+
   - BMO\_urlbase  
     The public URL for this instance. Note that if this begins with
     <https://> and BMO\_inbound\_proxies is set to '\*' Bugzilla will
diff --git a/template/en/default/setup/strings.txt.pl b/template/en/default/setup/strings.txt.pl
index 1627e1f70..4290d2b41 100644
--- a/template/en/default/setup/strings.txt.pl
+++ b/template/en/default/setup/strings.txt.pl
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ END
   continue_without_answers => <<'END',
 Re-run checksetup.pl in interactive mode (without an 'answers' file)
 to continue.
+
+To continue non-interactively, set ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION to 1
+in your answers file.
+END
+  continuing_with_unsafe_utf8_conversion => <<'END',
+WARNING: ALLOW_UNSAFE_UTF8_CONVERSION is enabled. Continuing the UTF-8
+         conversion without an interactive confirmation prompt.
 END
   cpanfile_created   => "##file## created",
   cpan_bugzilla_home => "WARNING: Using the Bugzilla directory as the CPAN home.",