mysql> show variables like 'version%';
+-------------------------+---------------------+
| Variable_name           | Value               |
+-------------------------+---------------------+
| version                 | 5.1.22-beta-log     |
| version_comment         | Source distribution |
| version_compile_machine | unknown             |
| version_compile_os      | Win64               |
+-------------------------+---------------------+
4 rows in set (0.02 sec)

[No additional cmd line arguments were specified when starting mysqld for this test]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
+------------------+-------+
| Variable_name    | Value |
+------------------+-------+
| query_cache_size | 0     |
+------------------+-------+
1 row in set (0.02 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3967000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.01 sec)

mysql> show warnings;
+---------+------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Level   | Code | Message        |
+---------+------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Warning | 1282 | Query cache failed to set size 3966999552; new query cache size is 0 |
+---------+------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3966000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.01 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3965000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.02 sec)
[Note.  Value rejected.]

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3964000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.02 sec)

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
ERROR 5 (HY000): Out of memory (Needed 184920 bytes)

[This is not the crash.  Possibly an additional symptom]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
+------------------+------------+
| Variable_name    | Value      |
+------------------+------------+
| query_cache_size | 3963999232 |
+------------------+------------+
1 row in set (0.03 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3965000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.02 sec)
[Note.  Previously rejected value now accepted.]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
ERROR 2013 (HY000): Lost connection to MySQL server during query

[Crash.  Mysqld exits memory and is assigned a new PID here.  Notice how the 
specific steps to reproduce change but the general pattern repeats.]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
ERROR 2006 (HY000): MySQL server has gone away
No connection. Trying to reconnect...
Connection id:    1
Current database: *** NONE ***

+------------------+-------+
| Variable_name    | Value |
+------------------+-------+
| query_cache_size | 0     |
+------------------+-------+
1 row in set (0.23 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3967000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3966000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3965000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3964000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.01 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3963000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962500000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962700000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.02 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962900000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)
[Note.  Value rejected.]

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962800000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962700000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962500000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.02 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3961000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962000000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3961900000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3961500000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.19 sec)

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
+------------------+------------+
| Variable_name    | Value      |
+------------------+------------+
| query_cache_size | 3961499648 |
+------------------+------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962900000;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)
[Note.  Previously rejected value now accepted.]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
ERROR 2013 (HY000): Lost connection to MySQL server during query

[Confirmed Mysqld exits memory and is assigned a new PID here.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Run with query_cache_size=5368709120 specified on the mysqld command line]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
+------------------+------------+
| Variable_name    | Value      |
+------------------+------------+
| query_cache_size | 4294966272 |
+------------------+------------+
1 row in set (0.02 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=4294966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> show warnings;
+---------+------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Level   | Code | Message        |
+---------+------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Warning | 1282 | Query cache failed to set size 4294966272; new query cache size is 0 |
+---------+------+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=4194966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.02 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=4094966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3994966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3894966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3904966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3914966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3954966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3974966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.02 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3964966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3954966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3959966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.01 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.02 sec)
[Note.  Value rejected.]

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3961966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3960966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3961966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected, 1 warning (0.00 sec)

mysql> set global query_cache_size=3962966272;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)
[Note.  Previously rejected value now accepted.]

mysql> show variables like 'query_cache_size';
ERROR 2013 (HY000): Lost connection to MySQL server during query