Index: ext/misc/csv.c
==================================================================
--- ext/misc/csv.c
+++ ext/misc/csv.c
@@ -75,10 +75,11 @@
   FILE *in;              /* Read the CSV text from this input stream */
   char *z;               /* Accumulated text for a field */
   int n;                 /* Number of bytes in z */
   int nAlloc;            /* Space allocated for z[] */
   int nLine;             /* Current line number */
+  int bNotFirst;         /* True if prior text has been seen */
   char cTerm;            /* Character that terminated the most recent field */
   size_t iIn;            /* Next unread character in the input buffer */
   size_t nIn;            /* Number of characters in the input buffer */
   char *zIn;             /* The input buffer */
   char zErr[CSV_MXERR];  /* Error message */
@@ -89,10 +90,11 @@
   p->in = 0;
   p->z = 0;
   p->n = 0;
   p->nAlloc = 0;
   p->nLine = 0;
+  p->bNotFirst = 0;
   p->nIn = 0;
   p->zIn = 0;
   p->zErr[0] = 0;
 }
 
@@ -249,10 +251,25 @@
       if( csv_append(p, (char)c) ) return 0;
       ppc = pc;
       pc = c;
     }
   }else{
+    /* If this is the first field being parsed and it begins with the
+    ** UTF-8 BOM  (0xEF BB BF) then skip the BOM */
+    if( (c&0xff)==0xef && p->bNotFirst==0 ){
+      csv_append(p, c);
+      c = csv_getc(p);
+      if( (c&0xff)==0xbb ){
+        csv_append(p, c);
+        c = csv_getc(p);
+        if( (c&0xff)==0xbf ){
+          p->bNotFirst = 1;
+          p->n = 0;
+          return csv_read_one_field(p);
+        }
+      }
+    }
     while( c>',' || (c!=EOF && c!=',' && c!='\n') ){
       if( csv_append(p, (char)c) ) return 0;
       c = csv_getc(p);
     }
     if( c=='\n' ){
@@ -260,10 +277,11 @@
       if( p->n>0 && p->z[p->n-1]=='\r' ) p->n--;
     }
     p->cTerm = (char)c;
   }
   if( p->z ) p->z[p->n] = 0;
+  p->bNotFirst = 1;
   return p->z;
 }
 
 
 /* Forward references to the various virtual table methods implemented

Index: src/shell.c
==================================================================
--- src/shell.c
+++ src/shell.c
@@ -3820,10 +3820,11 @@
   FILE *in;           /* Read the CSV text from this input stream */
   char *z;            /* Accumulated text for a field */
   int n;              /* Number of bytes in z */
   int nAlloc;         /* Space allocated for z[] */
   int nLine;          /* Current line number */
+  int bNotFirst;      /* True if one or more bytes already read */
   int cTerm;          /* Character that terminated the most recent field */
   int cColSep;        /* The column separator character.  (Usually ",") */
   int cRowSep;        /* The row separator character.  (Usually "\n") */
 };
 
@@ -3899,10 +3900,25 @@
       import_append_char(p, c);
       ppc = pc;
       pc = c;
     }
   }else{
+    /* If this is the first field being parsed and it begins with the
+    ** UTF-8 BOM  (0xEF BB BF) then skip the BOM */
+    if( (c&0xff)==0xef && p->bNotFirst==0 ){
+      import_append_char(p, c);
+      c = fgetc(p->in);
+      if( (c&0xff)==0xbb ){
+        import_append_char(p, c);
+        c = fgetc(p->in);
+        if( (c&0xff)==0xbf ){
+          p->bNotFirst = 1;
+          p->n = 0;
+          return csv_read_one_field(p);
+        }
+      }
+    }
     while( c!=EOF && c!=cSep && c!=rSep ){
       import_append_char(p, c);
       c = fgetc(p->in);
     }
     if( c==rSep ){
@@ -3910,10 +3926,11 @@
       if( p->n>0 && p->z[p->n-1]=='\r' ) p->n--;
     }
     p->cTerm = c;
   }
   if( p->z ) p->z[p->n] = 0;
+  p->bNotFirst = 1;
   return p->z;
 }
 
 /* Read a single field of ASCII delimited text.
 **

Index: test/shell5.test
==================================================================
--- test/shell5.test
+++ test/shell5.test
@@ -181,10 +181,40 @@
 } {0 7}
 
 do_test shell5-1.4.10.2 {
   catchcmd "test.db" {SELECT b FROM t1 WHERE a='7';}
 } {0 {Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.}}
+
+# import file with 2 rows, 2 columns and an initial BOM
+#
+do_test shell5-1.4.11 {
+  set in [open shell5.csv wb]
+  puts $in "\xef\xbb\xbf2|3"
+  puts $in "4|5"
+  close $in
+  set res [catchcmd "test.db" {CREATE TABLE t2(x INT, y INT);
+.import shell5.csv t2
+.mode quote
+.header on
+SELECT * FROM t2;}]
+ string map {\n | \n\r |} $res
+} {0 {'x','y'|2,3|4,5}}
+
+# import file with 2 rows, 2 columns or text with an initial BOM
+#
+do_test shell5-1.4.12 {
+  set in [open shell5.csv wb]
+  puts $in "\xef\xbb\xbf\"two\"|3"
+  puts $in "4|5"
+  close $in
+  set res [catchcmd "test.db" {DELETE FROM t2;
+.import shell5.csv t2
+.mode quote
+.header on
+SELECT * FROM t2;}]
+ string map {\n | \n\r |} $res
+} {0 {'x','y'|'two',3|4,5}}
 
 # check importing very long field
 do_test shell5-1.5.1 {
   set str [string repeat X 999]
   set in [open shell5.csv w]
@@ -208,11 +238,12 @@
   }
   append data "$cols"
   set in [open shell5.csv w]
   puts $in $data
   close $in
-  set res [catchcmd "test.db" {.import shell5.csv t2
+  set res [catchcmd "test.db" {DROP TABLE IF EXISTS t2;
+.import shell5.csv t2
 SELECT COUNT(*) FROM t2;}]
 } {0 1}
 
 # try importing a large number of rows
 set rows 9999