diff --git a/sql/session_tracker.cc b/sql/session_tracker.cc
index db82b7dffe9..63a6770f7d1 100644
--- a/sql/session_tracker.cc
+++ b/sql/session_tracker.cc
@@ -135,13 +135,6 @@ bool Session_sysvars_tracker::vars_list::parse_var_list(THD *thd,
   token= var_list.str;
 
   track_all= false;
-  /*
-    If Lock to the plugin mutex is not acquired here itself, it results
-    in having to acquire it multiple times in find_sys_var_ex for each
-    token value. Hence the mutex is handled here to avoid a performance
-    overhead.
-  */
-  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin);
   for (;;)
   {
     sys_var *svar;
@@ -165,11 +158,10 @@ bool Session_sysvars_tracker::vars_list::parse_var_list(THD *thd,
     {
       track_all= true;
     }
-    else if ((svar=
-              find_sys_var_ex(thd, var.str, var.length, throw_error, true)))
+    else if ((svar= find_sys_var(thd, var.str, var.length, throw_error)))
     {
       if (insert(svar) == TRUE)
-        goto error;
+        return true;
     }
     else if (throw_error && thd)
     {
@@ -179,20 +171,14 @@ bool Session_sysvars_tracker::vars_list::parse_var_list(THD *thd,
                           "be ignored.", (int)var.length, token);
     }
     else
-      goto error;
+      return true;
 
     if (lasts)
       token= lasts + 1;
     else
       break;
   }
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin);
-
   return false;
-
-error:
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin);
-  return true;
 }
 
 
@@ -211,14 +197,6 @@ bool sysvartrack_validate_value(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t len)
 
   token= var_list.str;
 
-  /*
-    If Lock to the plugin mutex is not acquired here itself, it results
-    in having to acquire it multiple times in find_sys_var_ex for each
-    token value. Hence the mutex is handled here to avoid a performance
-    overhead.
-  */
-  if (!thd)
-    mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin);
   for (;;)
   {
     LEX_CSTRING var;
@@ -237,22 +215,14 @@ bool sysvartrack_validate_value(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t len)
     /* Remove leading/trailing whitespace. */
     trim_whitespace(system_charset_info, &var);
 
-    if(!strcmp(var.str, "*") &&
-       !find_sys_var_ex(thd, var.str, var.length, false, true))
-    {
-      if (!thd)
-        mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin);
+    if (!strcmp(var.str, "*") && !find_sys_var(thd, var.str, var.length))
       return true;
-    }
 
     if (lasts)
       token= lasts + 1;
     else
       break;
   }
-  if (!thd)
-    mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin);
-
   return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/sql/set_var.h b/sql/set_var.h
index 6097b28e76f..6e673cffefb 100644
--- a/sql/set_var.h
+++ b/sql/set_var.h
@@ -398,7 +398,8 @@ extern SHOW_COMP_OPTION have_openssl;
 SHOW_VAR* enumerate_sys_vars(THD *thd, bool sorted, enum enum_var_type type);
 int fill_sysvars(THD *thd, TABLE_LIST *tables, COND *cond);
 
-sys_var *find_sys_var(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length=0);
+sys_var *find_sys_var(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length= 0,
+                      bool throw_error= false);
 int sql_set_variables(THD *thd, List<set_var_base> *var_list, bool free);
 
 #define SYSVAR_AUTOSIZE(VAR,VAL)                        \
diff --git a/sql/sql_lex.cc b/sql/sql_lex.cc
index b5ff060ecc6..6ce778d03cf 100644
--- a/sql/sql_lex.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_lex.cc
@@ -7254,8 +7254,7 @@ bool LEX::set_system_variable(THD *thd, enum_var_type var_type,
 {
   sys_var *tmp;
   if (unlikely(check_reserved_words(name1)) ||
-      unlikely(!(tmp= find_sys_var_ex(thd, name2->str, name2->length, true,
-                                      false))))
+      unlikely(!(tmp= find_sys_var(thd, name2->str, name2->length, true))))
   {
     my_error(ER_UNKNOWN_STRUCTURED_VARIABLE, MYF(0),
              (int) name1->length, name1->str);
@@ -7649,7 +7648,7 @@ int set_statement_var_if_exists(THD *thd, const char *var_name,
     my_error(ER_SP_BADSTATEMENT, MYF(0), "[NO]WAIT");
     return 1;
   }
-  if ((sysvar= find_sys_var_ex(thd, var_name, var_name_length, true, false)))
+  if ((sysvar= find_sys_var(thd, var_name, var_name_length, true)))
   {
     Item *item= new (thd->mem_root) Item_uint(thd, value);
     set_var *var= new (thd->mem_root) set_var(thd, OPT_SESSION, sysvar,
diff --git a/sql/sql_plugin.cc b/sql/sql_plugin.cc
index d0682ecb151..b8aff064aca 100644
--- a/sql/sql_plugin.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_plugin.cc
@@ -2822,37 +2822,25 @@ static void update_func_double(THD *thd, struct st_mysql_sys_var *var,
   System Variables support
 ****************************************************************************/
 
-sys_var *find_sys_var_ex(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length,
-                         bool throw_error, bool locked)
+sys_var *find_sys_var(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length,
+                      bool throw_error)
 {
   sys_var *var;
-  sys_var_pluginvar *pi= NULL;
-  plugin_ref plugin;
-  DBUG_ENTER("find_sys_var_ex");
+  sys_var_pluginvar *pi;
+  DBUG_ENTER("find_sys_var");
   DBUG_PRINT("enter", ("var '%.*s'", (int)length, str));
 
-  if (!locked)
-    mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin);
   mysql_prlock_rdlock(&LOCK_system_variables_hash);
   if ((var= intern_find_sys_var(str, length)) &&
       (pi= var->cast_pluginvar()))
   {
-    mysql_prlock_unlock(&LOCK_system_variables_hash);
-    LEX *lex= thd ? thd->lex : 0;
-    if (!(plugin= intern_plugin_lock(lex, plugin_int_to_ref(pi->plugin))))
+    mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_plugin);
+    if (!intern_plugin_lock(thd ? thd->lex : 0, plugin_int_to_ref(pi->plugin),
+                            PLUGIN_IS_READY))
       var= NULL; /* failed to lock it, it must be uninstalling */
-    else
-    if (!(plugin_state(plugin) & PLUGIN_IS_READY))
-    {
-      /* initialization not completed */
-      var= NULL;
-      intern_plugin_unlock(lex, plugin);
-    }
-  }
-  else
-    mysql_prlock_unlock(&LOCK_system_variables_hash);
-  if (!locked)
     mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_plugin);
+  }
+  mysql_prlock_unlock(&LOCK_system_variables_hash);
 
   if (unlikely(!throw_error && !var))
     my_error(ER_UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_VARIABLE, MYF(0),
@@ -2861,11 +2849,6 @@ sys_var *find_sys_var_ex(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length,
 }
 
 
-sys_var *find_sys_var(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length)
-{
-  return find_sys_var_ex(thd, str, length, false, false);
-}
-
 /*
   called by register_var, construct_options and test_plugin_options.
   Returns the 'bookmark' for the named variable.
diff --git a/sql/sql_plugin.h b/sql/sql_plugin.h
index 4e899e18f9b..01ec0563050 100644
--- a/sql/sql_plugin.h
+++ b/sql/sql_plugin.h
@@ -196,9 +196,6 @@ extern void sync_dynamic_session_variables(THD* thd, bool global_lock);
 extern bool plugin_dl_foreach(THD *thd, const LEX_CSTRING *dl,
                               plugin_foreach_func *func, void *arg);
 
-sys_var *find_sys_var_ex(THD *thd, const char *str, size_t length,
-                         bool throw_error, bool locked);
-
 extern void sync_dynamic_session_variables(THD* thd, bool global_lock);
 #endif