diff --git a/sql/rpl_replica.cc b/sql/rpl_replica.cc
index bae17c68451..cf68990b5eb 100644
--- a/sql/rpl_replica.cc
+++ b/sql/rpl_replica.cc
@@ -5513,6 +5513,7 @@ extern "C" void *handle_slave_io(void *arg) {
            we're in fact receiving nothing.
         */
         THD_STAGE_INFO(thd, stage_waiting_for_source_to_send_event);
+        thd->set_command(COM_SLEEP);
         event_len = read_event(mysql, &rpl, mi, &suppress_warnings);
 
         DBUG_EXECUTE_IF(
diff --git a/sql/rpl_rli_pdb.cc b/sql/rpl_rli_pdb.cc
index 1537e1c7a81..73f22165ae1 100644
--- a/sql/rpl_rli_pdb.cc
+++ b/sql/rpl_rli_pdb.cc
@@ -2429,6 +2429,7 @@ int slave_worker_exec_job_group(Slave_worker *worker, Relay_log_info *rli) {
 
   if (unlikely(worker->trans_retries > 0)) worker->trans_retries = 0;
 
+  thd->set_command(COM_SLEEP);
   job_item = pop_jobs_item(worker, job_item);
   start_relay_number = job_item->relay_number;
   start_relay_pos = job_item->relay_pos;