diff --git a/mysql-test/include/maria_empty_logs.inc b/mysql-test/include/maria_empty_logs.inc
index 2a4defe7b82..c3501051fd5 100644
--- a/mysql-test/include/maria_empty_logs.inc
+++ b/mysql-test/include/maria_empty_logs.inc
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 # API: set mel_keep_control_file=1 if want to keep control file;
 # uses vardir, port and socket.
 
+connection default;
+let $default_db=`select database()`;
+
 connection admin;
 
 -- echo * shut down mysqld, removed logs, restarted it
@@ -71,4 +74,4 @@ EOF
 connection default;
 # the effect of "use" is lost after a restart so we are back into db "test",
 # because connection 'default' was created with db "test".
-use mysqltest;
+eval use $default_db;
diff --git a/mysql-test/r/maria-no-logging.result b/mysql-test/r/maria-no-logging.result
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5d33e61f198
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/r/maria-no-logging.result
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+set global maria_log_file_size=4294967295;
+drop database if exists mysqltest;
+create database mysqltest;
+use mysqltest;
+set global maria_checkpoint_interval=0;
+create table t2 (a varchar(100)) engine=myisam;
+insert into t2 select repeat('z',100);
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+* shut down mysqld, removed logs, restarted it
+use mysqltest;
+create table t1 (a varchar(100)) engine=maria transactional=1;
+show create table t1;
+Table	Create Table
+t1	CREATE TABLE `t1` (
+  `a` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL
+) ENGINE=MARIA DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 PAGE_CHECKSUM=1 TRANSACTIONAL=1
+show engine maria logs;
+Type	Name	Status
+MARIA	Size        16384 maria_log.00000001	unknown
+insert into t1 values('a');
+insert into t1 select * from t2;
+show engine maria logs;
+Type	Name	Status
+MARIA	Size        24576 maria_log.00000001	unknown
+* shut down mysqld, removed logs, restarted it
+use mysqltest;
+truncate table t1;
+insert into t1 select * from t2;
+show engine maria logs;
+Type	Name	Status
+MARIA	Size        16384 maria_log.00000001	unknown
+drop table t1;
+* shut down mysqld, removed logs, restarted it
+use mysqltest;
+create table t1 (a varchar(100)) engine=maria transactional=1;
+insert into t1 values('a');
+create table if not exists t1 select * from t2;
+Warnings:
+Note	1050	Table 't1' already exists
+show engine maria logs;
+Type	Name	Status
+MARIA	Size        24576 maria_log.00000001	unknown
+* shut down mysqld, removed logs, restarted it
+use mysqltest;
+drop table t1;
+create table t1 engine=maria transactional=1 select * from t2;
+show engine maria logs;
+Type	Name	Status
+MARIA	Size        16384 maria_log.00000001	unknown
+drop database mysqltest;
diff --git a/mysql-test/r/maria-purge.result b/mysql-test/r/maria-purge.result
index 8155bc6ef2a..2fd68e7b94b 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/maria-purge.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/maria-purge.result
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+* shut down mysqld, removed logs, restarted it
+use test;
 set global storage_engine=maria;
 set session storage_engine=maria;
 set global maria_log_file_size=4294967295;
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/maria-no-logging.test b/mysql-test/t/maria-no-logging.test
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8ed2dbad338
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/t/maria-no-logging.test
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# test of cases where we can safely disable logging
+
+--source include/have_maria.inc
+
+set global maria_log_file_size=4294967295;
+
+--disable_warnings
+drop database if exists mysqltest;
+--enable_warnings
+create database mysqltest;
+
+connect (admin, 127.0.0.1, root,,mysqltest,,);
+--enable_reconnect
+
+connection default;
+use mysqltest;
+--enable_reconnect
+
+# checkpoints can make log unrepeatable
+let $def_checkinterval=`select @@global.maria_checkpoint_interval`;
+set global maria_checkpoint_interval=0;
+
+# Prepare table to help for big load
+create table t2 (a varchar(100)) engine=myisam;
+insert into t2 select repeat('z',100);
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+insert into t2 select * from t2;
+
+# INSERT SELECT
+
+# no optimization because table not empty
+
+# SHOW ENGINE MARIA LOGS could be influenced by older logs
+-- source include/maria_empty_logs.inc
+create table t1 (a varchar(100)) engine=maria transactional=1;
+show create table t1;
+--replace_regex /; .+maria_log/maria_log/
+show engine maria logs;
+
+insert into t1 values('a');
+insert into t1 select * from t2;
+--replace_regex /; .+maria_log/maria_log/
+show engine maria logs;
+
+# optimization because table is empty
+-- source include/maria_empty_logs.inc
+truncate table t1;
+insert into t1 select * from t2;
+--replace_regex /; .+maria_log/maria_log/
+show engine maria logs;
+
+drop table t1;
+
+# same for CREATE SELECT
+
+# no optimization because table not empty
+-- source include/maria_empty_logs.inc
+create table t1 (a varchar(100)) engine=maria transactional=1;
+insert into t1 values('a');
+create table if not exists t1 select * from t2;
+--replace_regex /; .+maria_log/maria_log/
+show engine maria logs;
+
+# optimization because table is empty
+-- source include/maria_empty_logs.inc
+drop table t1;
+create table t1 engine=maria transactional=1 select * from t2;
+--replace_regex /; .+maria_log/maria_log/
+show engine maria logs;
+
+drop database mysqltest;
+
+--disable_result_log
+--disable_query_log
+eval set global maria_checkpoint_interval=$def_checkinterval;
+--enable_result_log
+--enable_query_log
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/maria-purge.test b/mysql-test/t/maria-purge.test
index 025118d3296..bb1a04d639b 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/maria-purge.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/maria-purge.test
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 -- source include/have_maria.inc
 -- source include/big_test.inc
+
+# pre-requisites for maria_empty_logs
+connect (admin, 127.0.0.1, root,,test,,);
+--enable_reconnect
+connection default;
+--enable_reconnect
+# end of pre-requisites
+
+# SHOW ENGINE MARIA LOGS could be influenced by older logs
+# Also, possibly automatic checkpoints (see if that happens in
+# practice)
+-- source include/maria_empty_logs.inc
+
 let $default=`select @@global.storage_engine`;
 set global storage_engine=maria;
 set session storage_engine=maria;
@@ -47,6 +60,7 @@ insert into t2 select * from t1;
 insert into t1 select * from t2;
 
 set global maria_log_file_size=16777216;
+# force a checkpoint to allow log purge
 eval set global maria_checkpoint_interval=$def_checkinterval;
 --replace_regex /Size +[0-9]+ ; .+master-data/master-data/
 SHOW ENGINE maria logs;