diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
index 51989f02f0e..7778b99ea65 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
@@ -754,7 +754,10 @@ sub command_line_setup () {
   elsif ( $mysql_version_id < 50000 )
   {
     # --vardir was specified
-    mtr_error("--vardir option not supported until MySQL 5.0");
+    # It's only supported in 4.1 as a symlink from var/
+    # by setting up $opt_mem that will be created
+    $opt_mem= $opt_vardir;
+    $opt_vardir= undef;
   }
 
   $path_vardir_trace= $opt_vardir;