diff --git a/include/mysql/plugin.h b/include/mysql/plugin.h
index e084b6becec..360f633b7dd 100644
--- a/include/mysql/plugin.h
+++ b/include/mysql/plugin.h
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ typedef int (*mysql_show_var_func)(MYSQL_THD, struct st_mysql_show_var*, void *,
 #define PLUGIN_VAR_NOCMDARG     0x1000 /* No argument for cmd line */
 #define PLUGIN_VAR_RQCMDARG     0x0000 /* Argument required for cmd line */
 #define PLUGIN_VAR_OPCMDARG     0x2000 /* Argument optional for cmd line */
+#define PLUGIN_VAR_DEPRECATED   0x4000 /* Server variable is deprecated */
 #define PLUGIN_VAR_MEMALLOC     0x8000 /* String needs memory allocated */
 
 struct st_mysql_sys_var;
@@ -282,7 +283,8 @@ typedef void (*mysql_var_update_func)(MYSQL_THD thd,
 #define PLUGIN_VAR_MASK \
         (PLUGIN_VAR_READONLY | PLUGIN_VAR_NOSYSVAR | \
          PLUGIN_VAR_NOCMDOPT | PLUGIN_VAR_NOCMDARG | \
-         PLUGIN_VAR_OPCMDARG | PLUGIN_VAR_RQCMDARG | PLUGIN_VAR_MEMALLOC)
+         PLUGIN_VAR_OPCMDARG | PLUGIN_VAR_RQCMDARG | \
+         PLUGIN_VAR_DEPRECATED | PLUGIN_VAR_MEMALLOC)
 
 #define MYSQL_PLUGIN_VAR_HEADER \
   int flags;                    \
diff --git a/mysql-test/main/plugin.result b/mysql-test/main/plugin.result
index a4fb475981c..c1e7739be37 100644
--- a/mysql-test/main/plugin.result
+++ b/mysql-test/main/plugin.result
@@ -40,11 +40,15 @@ a
 set global example_ulong_var=500;
 set global example_enum_var= e1;
 set session example_int_var= -1;
+set global example_deprecated_var=1;
+Warnings:
+Warning	1287	'@@example_deprecated_var' is deprecated and will be removed in a future release
 show status like 'example%';
 Variable_name	Value
 Example_func_example	enum_var is 0, ulong_var is 500, int_var is -1, double_var is 8.500000, really
 show variables like 'example%';
 Variable_name	Value
+example_deprecated_var	0
 example_double_thdvar	8.500000
 example_double_var	8.500000
 example_enum_var	e1
diff --git a/mysql-test/main/plugin.test b/mysql-test/main/plugin.test
index d2e828b2589..61b5f9b87c6 100644
--- a/mysql-test/main/plugin.test
+++ b/mysql-test/main/plugin.test
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ SELECT * FROM t1;
 set global example_ulong_var=500;
 set global example_enum_var= e1;
 set session example_int_var= -1;
+set global example_deprecated_var=1;
 show status like 'example%';
 show variables like 'example%';
 
diff --git a/sql/sql_plugin.cc b/sql/sql_plugin.cc
index 33b43bdd85d..cee028b7b05 100644
--- a/sql/sql_plugin.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_plugin.cc
@@ -291,7 +291,8 @@ public:
   struct st_mysql_sys_var *plugin_var;
 
   sys_var_pluginvar(sys_var_chain *chain, const char *name_arg,
-                    st_plugin_int *p, st_mysql_sys_var *plugin_var_arg);
+                    st_plugin_int *p, st_mysql_sys_var *plugin_var_arg,
+                    const char *substitute);
   sys_var_pluginvar *cast_pluginvar() { return this; }
   uchar* real_value_ptr(THD *thd, enum_var_type type) const;
   TYPELIB* plugin_var_typelib(void) const;
@@ -3338,11 +3339,11 @@ static int pluginvar_sysvar_flags(const st_mysql_sys_var *p)
 }
 
 sys_var_pluginvar::sys_var_pluginvar(sys_var_chain *chain, const char *name_arg,
-        st_plugin_int *p, st_mysql_sys_var *pv)
+        st_plugin_int *p, st_mysql_sys_var *pv, const char *substitute)
     : sys_var(chain, name_arg, pv->comment, pluginvar_sysvar_flags(pv),
               0, pv->flags & PLUGIN_VAR_NOCMDOPT ? -1 : 0, NO_ARG,
               pluginvar_show_type(pv), 0,
-              NULL, VARIABLE_NOT_IN_BINLOG, NULL, NULL, NULL),
+              NULL, VARIABLE_NOT_IN_BINLOG, NULL, NULL, substitute),
     plugin(p), plugin_var(pv)
 {
   plugin_var->name= name_arg;
@@ -4076,7 +4077,8 @@ static int test_plugin_options(MEM_ROOT *tmp_root, struct st_plugin_int *tmp,
           my_casedn_str(&my_charset_latin1, varname);
           convert_dash_to_underscore(varname, len-1);
         }
-        v= new (mem_root) sys_var_pluginvar(&chain, varname, tmp, o);
+        const char *s= o->flags & PLUGIN_VAR_DEPRECATED ? "" : NULL;
+        v= new (mem_root) sys_var_pluginvar(&chain, varname, tmp, o, s);
         v->test_load= (var ? &var->loaded : &static_unload);
         DBUG_ASSERT(static_unload == FALSE);
 
diff --git a/storage/example/ha_example.cc b/storage/example/ha_example.cc
index ab402c636d1..8785281c242 100644
--- a/storage/example/ha_example.cc
+++ b/storage/example/ha_example.cc
@@ -1054,12 +1054,17 @@ static MYSQL_THDVAR_DOUBLE(
   1000.5,
   0);
 
+static MYSQL_THDVAR_INT(
+  deprecated_var, PLUGIN_VAR_RQCMDARG | PLUGIN_VAR_DEPRECATED, "-1..1",
+  NULL, NULL, 0, -1, 1, 0);
+
 static struct st_mysql_sys_var* example_system_variables[]= {
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(enum_var),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(ulong_var),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(int_var),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(double_var),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(double_thdvar),
+  MYSQL_SYSVAR(deprecated_var),
   MYSQL_SYSVAR(varopt_default),
   NULL
 };