diff --git a/src/db_column.c b/src/db_column.c
index e62a3f3..7e2c9df 100644
--- a/src/db_column.c
+++ b/src/db_column.c
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ struct column_data_t *initEmptyColumn(e_column_type type, int nullable, const ch
 
   col->type = type;
   col->type_bytes = columnTypeToByteSize(col->type);
+  if (col->type == TYPE_STRING) {
+    col->max_len = 255;
+  }
 
   col->n_values = 0;
 
@@ -462,11 +465,18 @@ void escapeColumnName_sb(str_builder *sb,
     strbld_char(sb,'`');
     strbld_char(sb,'.');
   }
-  strbld_char(sb,'`');
-  if (col != 0) {
-    strbld_str(sb, col, col_len);
+  if (col_len == 0) {
+    col_len = strlen(col);
+  }
+  if (col_len == 1 && col[0] == '*') {
+    strbld_char(sb, '*');
+  } else {
+    strbld_char(sb,'`');
+    if (col != 0) {
+      strbld_str(sb, col, col_len);
+    }
+    strbld_char(sb,'`');
   }
-  strbld_char(sb,'`');
 }
 
 char *escapeColumnNameAs(char **str, size_t *len, const char *tbl, size_t tbl_len,
@@ -551,7 +561,9 @@ void columnCreateStr_sb(str_builder *sb, struct column_data_t *col)
       strbld_str(sb, "DOUBLE", 6);
       break;
     case TYPE_STRING:
-      strbld_str(sb, "VARCHAR(4096)", 13);
+      strbld_str(sb, "VARCHAR(", 8);
+      db_value_sb(sb, TYPE_UINT32, 1, col->max_len);
+      strbld_char(sb, ')');
       break;
     case TYPE_BLOB:
       strbld_str(sb, "MEDIUMBLOB", 10);
diff --git a/src/db_column.h b/src/db_column.h
index c993cc4..445dfaf 100644
--- a/src/db_column.h
+++ b/src/db_column.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct column_data_t {
 
   enum e_column_type_t type;
   size_t type_bytes;
+  size_t max_len;
 
   size_t n_values;