diff --git a/mysql/edit_tpriv.cgi b/mysql/edit_tpriv.cgi
index 49d967c9df..b224e048ea 100755
--- a/mysql/edit_tpriv.cgi
+++ b/mysql/edit_tpriv.cgi
@@ -48,11 +48,13 @@ print &ui_table_row($text{'tpriv_host'},
 			$text{'tpriv_any'}));
 
 # Table permissions
+$remote_mysql_version = &get_remote_mysql_version();
 print &ui_table_row($text{'tpriv_perms1'},
 	&ui_select("perms1", [ split(/,/, $u->[6]) ],
 		   [ 'Select','Insert','Update','Delete','Create',
 		     'Drop','Grant','References','Index','Alter',
-		     ($mysql_version >= 5 ? ('Create View','Show view') : ( )) ],
+		     ($remote_mysql_version >= 5 ?
+			('Create View', 'Show view') : ( )) ],
 		   4, 1));
 
 # Field permissions
diff --git a/mysql/edit_user.cgi b/mysql/edit_user.cgi
index 487eeb9608..6e923b99fb 100755
--- a/mysql/edit_user.cgi
+++ b/mysql/edit_user.cgi
@@ -78,9 +78,10 @@ print &ui_table_row($text{'user_perms'},
 	&ui_select("perms", \@sel, \@opts, 10, 1, 1));
 
 # Various per-user limits
+$remote_mysql_version = &get_remote_mysql_version();
 foreach $f ('max_user_connections', 'max_connections',
 	    'max_questions', 'max_updates') {
-	if ($mysql_version >= 5 && $fieldmap{$f}) {
+	if ($remote_mysql_version >= 5 && $fieldmap{$f}) {
 		print &ui_table_row($text{'user_'.$f},
 			&ui_opt_textbox($f,
 				$u->[$fieldmap{$f}] || undef,
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ foreach $f ('max_user_connections', 'max_connections',
 	}
 
 # SSL needed?
-if ($mysql_version >= 5 && $fieldmap{'ssl_type'}) {
+if ($remote_mysql_version >= 5 && $fieldmap{'ssl_type'}) {
 	print &ui_table_row($text{'user_ssl'},
 		&ui_select("ssl_type", uc($u->[$fieldmap{'ssl_type'}]),
 			[ [ '', $text{'user_ssl_'} ],
diff --git a/mysql/list_users.cgi b/mysql/list_users.cgi
index 272cfa87cc..2c29dc4b40 100755
--- a/mysql/list_users.cgi
+++ b/mysql/list_users.cgi
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ print &ui_form_start("delete_users.cgi");
 	      &ui_link("edit_user.cgi?new=1",$text{'users_add'}) );
 print &ui_links_row(\@rowlinks);
 @tds = ( "width=5" );
+$remote_mysql_version = &get_remote_mysql_version();
 print &ui_columns_start([ "",
 			  $text{'users_user'},
 			  $text{'users_host'},
-			  $mysql_version >= 5 ? ( $text{'users_ssl'} ) : ( ),
+			  $remote_mysql_version >= 5 ? ( $text{'users_ssl'} )
+						     : ( ),
 			  $text{'users_perms'} ], 100, 0, \@tds);
 $d = &execute_sql_safe($master_db, "select * from user order by user");
 %fieldmap = map { $_->{'field'}, $_->{'index'} }
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ foreach $u (@{$d->{'data'}}) {
 		    "</a>");
 	push(@cols, $u->[0] eq '' || $u->[0] eq '%' ?
 		      $text{'user_any'} : &html_escape($u->[0]));
-	if ($mysql_version >= 5) {
+	if ($remote_mysql_version >= 5) {
 		$ssl = $u->[$fieldmap{'ssl_type'}];
 		push(@cols, $text{'user_ssl_'.lc($ssl)} || $ssl);
 		}
diff --git a/mysql/mysql-lib.pl b/mysql/mysql-lib.pl
index d6a972c26d..7cb6d866d2 100755
--- a/mysql/mysql-lib.pl
+++ b/mysql/mysql-lib.pl
@@ -786,7 +786,8 @@ sub is_blob
 
 # get_mysql_version(&out)
 # Returns a version number, undef if one cannot be found, or -1 for a .so
-# problem
+# problem. This is the version of the *local* mysql command, not necessarily
+# the remote server.
 sub get_mysql_version
 {
 local $out = &backquote_command("\"$config{'mysql'}\" -V 2>&1");
@@ -802,6 +803,18 @@ sub get_mysql_version
 	}
 }
 
+# get_remote_mysql_version()
+# Returns the version of the MySQL server, or -1 if unknown
+sub get_remote_mysql_version
+{
+local $main::error_must_die = 1;
+local $data;
+eval { $data = &execute_sql_safe(undef, "select version()"); };
+return -1 if ($@);
+return -1 if (!@{$data->{'data'}});
+return $data->{'data'}->[0]->[0];
+}
+
 # date_subs(filename)
 # Does strftime-style date substitutions on a filename, if enabled
 sub date_subs
@@ -1295,7 +1308,7 @@ sub list_character_sets
 {
 local @rv;
 local $db = $_[0] || $master_db;
-if ($mysql_version < 4.1) {
+if (&get_remote_mysql_version() < 4.1) {
 	local $d = &execute_sql($db, "show variables like 'character_sets'");
 	@rv = map { [ $_, $_ ] } split(/\s+/, $d->{'data'}->[0]->[1]);
 	}
@@ -1313,7 +1326,7 @@ sub list_collation_orders
 {
 local @rv;
 local $db = $_[0] || $master_db;
-if ($mysql_version >= 5) {
+if (&get_remote_mysql_version() >= 5) {
 	local $d = &execute_sql($db, "show collation");
 	@rv = map { [ $_->[0], $_->[1] ] } @{$d->{'data'}};
 	}
diff --git a/mysql/save_user.cgi b/mysql/save_user.cgi
index 876b7587cb..4a466e6bb1 100755
--- a/mysql/save_user.cgi
+++ b/mysql/save_user.cgi
@@ -71,9 +71,10 @@ else {
 		}
 
 	# Save various limits
+	$remote_mysql_version = &get_remote_mysql_version();
 	foreach $f ('max_user_connections', 'max_connections',
 		    'max_questions', 'max_updates') {
-		next if ($mysql_version < 5 || !defined($in{$f.'_def'}));
+		next if ($remote_mysql_version < 5 || !defined($in{$f.'_def'}));
 		$in{$f.'_def'} || $in{$f} =~ /^\d+$/ ||
 		       &error($text{'user_e'.$f});
 		&execute_sql_logged($master_db,
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ else {
 		}
 
 	# Set SSL fields
-	if ($mysql_version >= 5 && defined($in{'ssl_type'}) &&
+	if ($remote_mysql_version >= 5 && defined($in{'ssl_type'}) &&
 	    (!$in{'new'} || $in{'ssl_type'} || $in{'ssl_cipher'})) {
 		&execute_sql_logged($master_db,
 			"update user set ssl_type = ? ".