diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/r/MW-336.result b/mysql-test/suite/galera/r/MW-336.result
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9bdb61c1a9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/r/MW-336.result
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+CREATE TABLE t1 (f1 INTEGER) Engine=InnoDB;
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 10;
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 1;
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 10;
+SELECT COUNT(*) = 11 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCESSLIST WHERE USER = 'system user';
+COUNT(*) = 11
+1
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 20;
+SELECT COUNT(*) = 21 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCESSLIST WHERE USER = 'system user';
+COUNT(*) = 21
+1
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 1;
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (2);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (3);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (4);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (5);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (6);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (7);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (8);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (9);
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 10;
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 0;
+Warnings:
+Warning	1292	Truncated incorrect wsrep_slave_threads value: '0'
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (10);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (11);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (12);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (13);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (14);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (15);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (16);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (17);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (18);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (19);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (20);
+SELECT COUNT(*) = 2 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCESSLIST WHERE USER = 'system user';
+COUNT(*) = 2
+1
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/MW-336.test b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/MW-336.test
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..79d8951a822
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/MW-336.test
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#
+# MW-336 Slave threads may leak if variable wsrep_slave_threads is set repeatedly
+#
+
+--source include/galera_cluster.inc
+--source include/have_innodb.inc
+
+CREATE TABLE t1 (f1 INTEGER) Engine=InnoDB;
+
+--connection node_1
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 10;
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 1;
+
+--connection node_2
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+
+--connection node_1
+--sleep 0.5
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 10;
+--sleep 0.5
+SELECT COUNT(*) = 11 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCESSLIST WHERE USER = 'system user';
+
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 20;
+--sleep 0.5
+SELECT COUNT(*) = 21 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCESSLIST WHERE USER = 'system user';
+
+
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 1;
+
+--connection node_2
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (2);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (3);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (4);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (5);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (6);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (7);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (8);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (9);
+
+
+--connection node_1
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 10;
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 0;
+
+--connection node_2
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (10);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (11);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (12);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (13);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (14);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (15);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (16);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (17);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (18);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (19);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (20);
+
+--connection node_1
+--sleep 0.5
+SELECT COUNT(*) = 2 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCESSLIST WHERE USER = 'system user';
+
+SET GLOBAL wsrep_slave_threads = 1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
diff --git a/sql/sys_vars.cc b/sql/sys_vars.cc
index 000a424faeb..e234d441b78 100644
--- a/sql/sys_vars.cc
+++ b/sql/sys_vars.cc
@@ -4568,7 +4568,7 @@ static Sys_var_ulong Sys_wsrep_slave_threads(
        GLOBAL_VAR(wsrep_slave_threads), CMD_LINE(REQUIRED_ARG),
        VALID_RANGE(1, 512), DEFAULT(1), BLOCK_SIZE(1),
        &PLock_wsrep_slave_threads, NOT_IN_BINLOG,
-       ON_CHECK(wsrep_slave_threads_check), 
+       ON_CHECK(NULL),
        ON_UPDATE(wsrep_slave_threads_update));
 
 static Sys_var_charptr Sys_wsrep_dbug_option(
diff --git a/sql/wsrep_var.cc b/sql/wsrep_var.cc
index 8a507711daf..9a5c7b86068 100644
--- a/sql/wsrep_var.cc
+++ b/sql/wsrep_var.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ const  char* wsrep_node_address     = 0;
 const  char* wsrep_node_incoming_address = 0;
 const  char* wsrep_start_position   = 0;
 
+static long wsrep_prev_slave_threads = wsrep_slave_threads;
+
 int wsrep_init_vars()
 {
   wsrep_provider        = my_strdup(WSREP_NONE, MYF(MY_WME));
@@ -497,18 +499,15 @@ void wsrep_node_address_init (const char* value)
   wsrep_node_address = (value) ? my_strdup(value, MYF(0)) : NULL;
 }
 
-bool wsrep_slave_threads_check (sys_var *self, THD* thd, set_var* var)
+static void wsrep_slave_count_change_update ()
 {
-  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_wsrep_slave_threads);
-  wsrep_slave_count_change += (var->save_result.ulonglong_value -
-                               wsrep_slave_threads);
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_wsrep_slave_threads);
-
-  return 0;
+  wsrep_slave_count_change += (wsrep_slave_threads - wsrep_prev_slave_threads);
+  wsrep_prev_slave_threads = wsrep_slave_threads;
 }
 
 bool wsrep_slave_threads_update (sys_var *self, THD* thd, enum_var_type type)
 {
+  wsrep_slave_count_change_update();
   if (wsrep_slave_count_change > 0)
   {
     wsrep_create_appliers(wsrep_slave_count_change);