diff --git a/include/mysql_com.h b/include/mysql_com.h
index 94b34c1c3f0..2eeec270cd0 100644
--- a/include/mysql_com.h
+++ b/include/mysql_com.h
@@ -219,6 +219,16 @@ typedef struct st_net {
 
   my_bool report_error; /* We should report error (we have unreported error) */
   my_bool return_errno;
+#if defined(MYSQL_SERVER) && !defined(EMBEDDED_LIBRARY)
+  /*
+    Controls whether a big packet should be skipped.
+
+    Initially set to FALSE by default. Unauthenticated sessions must have
+    this set to FALSE so that the server can't be tricked to read packets
+    indefinitely.
+  */
+  my_bool skip_big_packet;
+#endif
 } NET;
 
 #define packet_error (~(unsigned long) 0)
diff --git a/sql/net_serv.cc b/sql/net_serv.cc
index fdabad6f569..1d1871e27a8 100644
--- a/sql/net_serv.cc
+++ b/sql/net_serv.cc
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ my_bool my_net_init(NET *net, Vio* vio)
   net->query_cache_query= 0;
 #endif
   net->report_error= 0;
+#if defined(MYSQL_SERVER) && !defined(EMBEDDED_LIBRARY)
+  net->skip_big_packet= FALSE;
+#endif
 
   if (vio != 0)					/* If real connection */
   {
@@ -947,6 +950,7 @@ my_real_read(NET *net, ulong *complen)
 	  {
 #if defined(MYSQL_SERVER) && !defined(NO_ALARM)
 	    if (!net->compress &&
+                net->skip_big_packet &&
 		!my_net_skip_rest(net, (uint32) len, &alarmed, &alarm_buff))
 	      net->error= 3;		/* Successfully skiped packet */
 #endif
diff --git a/sql/sql_parse.cc b/sql/sql_parse.cc
index f1fb3d646b5..2b43d95dd7c 100644
--- a/sql/sql_parse.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_parse.cc
@@ -493,6 +493,13 @@ int check_user(THD *thd, enum enum_server_command command,
       }
       send_ok(thd);
       thd->password= test(passwd_len);          // remember for error messages 
+      /*
+        Allow the network layer to skip big packets. Although a malicious
+        authenticated session might use this to trick the server to read
+        big packets indefinitely, this is a previously established behavior
+        that needs to be preserved as to not break backwards compatibility.
+      */
+      thd->net.skip_big_packet= TRUE;
       /* Ready to handle queries */
       DBUG_RETURN(0);
     }