diff --git a/include/my_sys.h b/include/my_sys.h
index 28e8d86583e..aa3a85717d2 100644
--- a/include/my_sys.h
+++ b/include/my_sys.h
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ extern int (*is_killed_hook)(const void *opaque_thd);
 
 /* charsets */
 #define MY_ALL_CHARSETS_SIZE 2048
+extern MYSQL_PLUGIN_IMPORT CHARSET_INFO *default_collation_for_utf8mb4;
 extern MYSQL_PLUGIN_IMPORT CHARSET_INFO *default_charset_info;
 extern MYSQL_PLUGIN_IMPORT const CHARSET_INFO
     *all_charsets[MY_ALL_CHARSETS_SIZE];
diff --git a/mysys/charset.cc b/mysys/charset.cc
index a73b4ff7b4b..6cf642f50d8 100644
--- a/mysys/charset.cc
+++ b/mysys/charset.cc
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ char *get_charsets_dir(char *buf) {
 
 const CHARSET_INFO *all_charsets[MY_ALL_CHARSETS_SIZE] = {nullptr};
 CHARSET_INFO *default_charset_info = &my_charset_latin1;
+CHARSET_INFO *default_collation_for_utf8mb4 = &my_charset_utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci;
 
 static std::once_flag charsets_initialized;
 
diff --git a/sql/mysqld.cc b/sql/mysqld.cc
index 1b2fabeebbb..a9613474d98 100644
--- a/sql/mysqld.cc
+++ b/sql/mysqld.cc
@@ -6967,6 +6967,7 @@ int init_common_variables() {
   global_system_variables.collation_database = default_charset_info;
   global_system_variables.default_collation_for_utf8mb4 =
       &my_charset_utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci;
+  default_collation_for_utf8mb4 = &my_charset_utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci;
 
   if (is_supported_parser_charset(default_charset_info)) {
     global_system_variables.collation_connection = default_charset_info;
diff --git a/sql/sys_vars.cc b/sql/sys_vars.cc
index 65320b51bfd..3913ab03836 100644
--- a/sql/sys_vars.cc
+++ b/sql/sys_vars.cc
@@ -7035,9 +7035,6 @@ static bool check_default_collation_for_utf8mb4(sys_var *self, THD *thd,
     return true;
   }
 
-  if (!var->value)
-    var->save_result.ptr = reinterpret_cast<void *>(self->get_default());
-
   auto cs = static_cast<const CHARSET_INFO *>(var->save_result.ptr);
   if (cs == &my_charset_utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci ||
       cs == &my_charset_utf8mb4_general_ci)
@@ -7052,7 +7049,7 @@ static Sys_var_struct<CHARSET_INFO, Get_name> Sys_default_collation_for_utf8mb4(
     "Controls default collation for utf8mb4 while replicating implicit "
     "utf8mb4 collations.",
     SESSION_VAR(default_collation_for_utf8mb4), NO_CMD_LINE,
-    DEFAULT(&my_charset_utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci), NO_MUTEX_GUARD, IN_BINLOG,
+    DEFAULT(&default_collation_for_utf8mb4), NO_MUTEX_GUARD, IN_BINLOG,
     ON_CHECK(check_default_collation_for_utf8mb4),
     ON_UPDATE(update_deprecated));