diff --git a/sql/sql_class.cc b/sql/sql_class.cc
index cc57ba726b4..cbdaca0fac5 100644
--- a/sql/sql_class.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_class.cc
@@ -802,6 +802,7 @@ THD::THD()
    rli_fake(0), rli_slave(NULL),
    user_time(0), in_sub_stmt(0),
    fill_status_recursion_level(0),
+   fill_variables_recursion_level(0),
    binlog_unsafe_warning_flags(0),
    binlog_table_maps(0),
    table_map_for_update(0),
diff --git a/sql/sql_class.h b/sql/sql_class.h
index 22b4eabac13..5a5e8b48754 100644
--- a/sql/sql_class.h
+++ b/sql/sql_class.h
@@ -1603,6 +1603,7 @@ public:
     decremented each time before it returns from the function.
   */
   uint fill_status_recursion_level;
+  uint fill_variables_recursion_level;
 
   /* container for handler's private per-connection data */
   Ha_data ha_data[MAX_HA];
diff --git a/sql/sql_show.cc b/sql/sql_show.cc
index 51f5d75e49b..4c9811cea2d 100644
--- a/sql/sql_show.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_show.cc
@@ -6317,7 +6317,11 @@ int fill_variables(THD *thd, TABLE_LIST *tables, COND *cond)
     Lock LOCK_plugin_delete to avoid deletion of any plugins while creating
     SHOW_VAR array and hold it until all variables are stored in the table.
   */
-  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin_delete);
+  if (thd->fill_variables_recursion_level++ == 0)
+  {
+    mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin_delete);
+  }
+
   // Lock LOCK_system_variables_hash to prepare SHOW_VARs array.
   mysql_rwlock_rdlock(&LOCK_system_variables_hash);
   DEBUG_SYNC(thd, "acquired_LOCK_system_variables_hash");
@@ -6327,7 +6331,11 @@ int fill_variables(THD *thd, TABLE_LIST *tables, COND *cond)
   res= show_status_array(thd, wild, sys_var_array, option_type, NULL, "",
                          tables->table, upper_case_names, cond);
 
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin_delete);
+  if (thd->fill_variables_recursion_level-- == 1)
+  {
+    mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin_delete);
+  }
+
   DBUG_RETURN(res);
 }