diff --git a/mysql-test/r/init_file.result b/mysql-test/r/init_file.result
index 5404a7b2064..509d382aadd 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/init_file.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/init_file.result
@@ -1,2 +1,9 @@
+INSERT INTO init_file.startup VALUES ( NOW() );
+SELECT * INTO @X FROM init_file.startup limit 0,1;
+SELECT * INTO @Y FROM init_file.startup limit 1,1;
+SELECT YEAR(@X)-YEAR(@Y);
+YEAR(@X)-YEAR(@Y)
+0
+DROP DATABASE init_file;
 ok
 End of 4.1 tests
diff --git a/mysql-test/std_data/init_file.dat b/mysql-test/std_data/init_file.dat
index 6105ca2ac1b..91e456e725d 100644
--- a/mysql-test/std_data/init_file.dat
+++ b/mysql-test/std_data/init_file.dat
@@ -1 +1,9 @@
 select * from mysql.user as t1, mysql.user as t2, mysql.user as t3;
+
+#
+# Bug#23240 --init-file statements with NOW() reports '1970-01-01 11:00:00'as the date time
+#
+CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS init_file;
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS init_file.startup ( startdate DATETIME );
+INSERT INTO init_file.startup VALUES ( NOW() );
+
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/init_file.test b/mysql-test/t/init_file.test
index bbe0c4ff884..34d738415c8 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/init_file.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/init_file.test
@@ -6,5 +6,14 @@
 # mysql-test/t/init_file-master.opt for the actual test
 #
 
+#
+# Bug#23240 --init-file statements with NOW() reports '1970-01-01 11:00:00'as the date time
+#
+INSERT INTO init_file.startup VALUES ( NOW() );
+SELECT * INTO @X FROM init_file.startup limit 0,1;
+SELECT * INTO @Y FROM init_file.startup limit 1,1;
+SELECT YEAR(@X)-YEAR(@Y);
+DROP DATABASE init_file;
+
 --echo ok
 --echo End of 4.1 tests
diff --git a/sql/sql_parse.cc b/sql/sql_parse.cc
index c39b438c838..7cf61cdcfa5 100644
--- a/sql/sql_parse.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_parse.cc
@@ -1175,6 +1175,7 @@ extern "C" pthread_handler_decl(handle_bootstrap,arg)
       free_root(thd->mem_root,MYF(MY_KEEP_PREALLOC));
       break;
     }
+    thd->set_time();
     mysql_parse(thd,thd->query,length);
     close_thread_tables(thd);			// Free tables
     if (thd->is_fatal_error)