diff --git a/client/mysql_upgrade.c b/client/mysql_upgrade.c
index c6aaf38179f..9e39b7273ea 100644
--- a/client/mysql_upgrade.c
+++ b/client/mysql_upgrade.c
@@ -156,11 +156,10 @@ static struct my_option my_long_options[]=
    "version\' of the program is the version of the MySQL server with which it "
    "was built/distributed.", &opt_version_check, &opt_version_check, 0,
    GET_BOOL, NO_ARG, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
-  {"write-binlog", OPT_WRITE_BINLOG,
-   "All commands including mysqlcheck are binlogged. Enabled by default;"
-   "use --skip-write-binlog when commands should not be sent to replication slaves.",
+  {"write-binlog", OPT_WRITE_BINLOG, "All commands including those, "
+   "issued by mysqlcheck, are written to the binary log.",
    &opt_write_binlog, &opt_write_binlog, 0, GET_BOOL, NO_ARG,
-   1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
+   0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
   {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, GET_NO_ARG, NO_ARG, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
 };
 
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_mysql_upgrade.test b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_mysql_upgrade.test
index fedad86ea91..10e45f5a50d 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_mysql_upgrade.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_mysql_upgrade.test
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ connection master;
 let $before_position= query_get_value(SHOW MASTER STATUS, Position, 1);
 
 #With '--force' option, mysql_upgrade always executes all sql statements for upgrading.
-#--skip-write-binlog option disables binlog.
---exec $MYSQL_UPGRADE --skip-write-binlog --skip-verbose --force --user=root > $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/log/mysql_upgrade.log 2>&1
+--exec $MYSQL_UPGRADE --skip-verbose --force --user=root > $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/log/mysql_upgrade.log 2>&1
 sync_slave_with_master;
 
 connection master;
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ source include/wait_for_slave_sql_to_stop.inc;
 
 connection master;
 #With '--force' option, mysql_upgrade always executes all sql statements for upgrading.
---exec $MYSQL_UPGRADE --skip-verbose --force --user=root > $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/log/mysql_upgrade.log 2>&1
+--exec $MYSQL_UPGRADE --skip-verbose --write-binlog --force --user=root > $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/log/mysql_upgrade.log 2>&1
 
 connection master;
 let $after_file= query_get_value(SHOW MASTER STATUS, File, 1);