diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.result b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.result
index 04c3fa7966f..62a5b9c3531 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.result
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.result
@@ -8,22 +8,26 @@ connection slave;
 include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos CHANGE seq_no seq_no VARCHAR(20);
 START SLAVE;
-ERROR HY000: Failed to open mysql.gtid_slave_pos
 connection master;
 INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
 connection slave;
-CALL mtr.add_suppression("Incorrect definition of table mysql.gtid_slave_pos");
+CALL mtr.add_suppression("Slave: Failed to open mysql.gtid_slave_pos");
+include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc [errno=1944]
+include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos CHANGE seq_no seq_no BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos DROP PRIMARY KEY;
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos ADD PRIMARY KEY (sub_id, domain_id);
 START SLAVE;
-ERROR HY000: Failed to open mysql.gtid_slave_pos
+include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc [errno=1944]
+include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos DROP PRIMARY KEY;
 START SLAVE;
-ERROR HY000: Failed to open mysql.gtid_slave_pos
+include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc [errno=1944]
+include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos ADD PRIMARY KEY (sub_id);
 START SLAVE;
-ERROR HY000: Failed to open mysql.gtid_slave_pos
+include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc [errno=1944]
+include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos DROP PRIMARY KEY;
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos ADD PRIMARY KEY (domain_id, sub_id);
 include/start_slave.inc
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.test b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.test
index a5946411144..796f6894f19 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_gtid_errorhandling.test
@@ -10,28 +10,37 @@ CREATE TABLE t1(a INT PRIMARY KEY) ENGINE=InnoDB;
 --connection slave
 --source include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos CHANGE seq_no seq_no VARCHAR(20);
---error ER_GTID_OPEN_TABLE_FAILED
 START SLAVE;
 
 --connection master
 INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
 
 --connection slave
-CALL mtr.add_suppression("Incorrect definition of table mysql.gtid_slave_pos");
+CALL mtr.add_suppression("Slave: Failed to open mysql.gtid_slave_pos");
+--let $slave_sql_errno=1944
+--source include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc
+
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos CHANGE seq_no seq_no BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos DROP PRIMARY KEY;
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos ADD PRIMARY KEY (sub_id, domain_id);
---error ER_GTID_OPEN_TABLE_FAILED
 START SLAVE;
+--let $slave_sql_errno=1944
+--source include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc
 
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos DROP PRIMARY KEY;
---error ER_GTID_OPEN_TABLE_FAILED
 START SLAVE;
+--let $slave_sql_errno=1944
+--source include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc
 
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos ADD PRIMARY KEY (sub_id);
---error ER_GTID_OPEN_TABLE_FAILED
 START SLAVE;
+--let $slave_sql_errno=1944
+--source include/wait_for_slave_sql_error.inc
 
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos DROP PRIMARY KEY;
 ALTER TABLE mysql.gtid_slave_pos ADD PRIMARY KEY (domain_id, sub_id);
 --source include/start_slave.inc
diff --git a/sql/mysqld.cc b/sql/mysqld.cc
index 0b8aaf1de78..a3c8686fee4 100644
--- a/sql/mysqld.cc
+++ b/sql/mysqld.cc
@@ -7790,7 +7790,7 @@ static int show_slaves_running(THD *thd, SHOW_VAR *var, char *buff)
   var->type= SHOW_LONGLONG;
   var->value= buff;
 
-  *((longlong *)buff)= any_slave_sql_running();
+  *((longlong *)buff)= any_slave_sql_running(false);
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/sql/rpl_mi.cc b/sql/rpl_mi.cc
index f30b7e161f2..4cf09d0bb76 100644
--- a/sql/rpl_mi.cc
+++ b/sql/rpl_mi.cc
@@ -1558,6 +1558,9 @@ bool give_error_if_slave_running(bool already_locked)
 /**
    any_slave_sql_running()
 
+   @param
+   already_locked  0 if we need to lock, 1 if we have LOCK_active_mi_locked
+
    @return
    0            No Slave SQL thread is running
    #		Number of slave SQL thread running
@@ -1568,26 +1571,28 @@ bool give_error_if_slave_running(bool already_locked)
    hash entries can't be accessed.
 */
 
-uint any_slave_sql_running()
+uint any_slave_sql_running(bool already_locked)
 {
   uint count= 0;
   HASH *hash;
   DBUG_ENTER("any_slave_sql_running");
 
-  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_active_mi);
+  if (!already_locked)
+    mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_active_mi);
   if (unlikely(shutdown_in_progress || !master_info_index))
+    count= 1;
+  else
   {
+    hash= &master_info_index->master_info_hash;
+    for (uint i= 0; i< hash->records; ++i)
+    {
+      Master_info *mi= (Master_info *)my_hash_element(hash, i);
+      if (mi->rli.slave_running != MYSQL_SLAVE_NOT_RUN)
+        count++;
+    }
+  }
+  if (!already_locked)
     mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_active_mi);
-    DBUG_RETURN(1);
-  }
-  hash= &master_info_index->master_info_hash;
-  for (uint i= 0; i< hash->records; ++i)
-  {
-    Master_info *mi= (Master_info *)my_hash_element(hash, i);
-    if (mi->rli.slave_running != MYSQL_SLAVE_NOT_RUN)
-      count++;
-  }
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_active_mi);
   DBUG_RETURN(count);
 }
 
diff --git a/sql/rpl_mi.h b/sql/rpl_mi.h
index 31c0f280ac1..104a7ce3da6 100644
--- a/sql/rpl_mi.h
+++ b/sql/rpl_mi.h
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ void create_logfile_name_with_suffix(char *res_file_name, size_t length,
 uchar *get_key_master_info(Master_info *mi, size_t *length,
                            my_bool not_used __attribute__((unused)));
 void free_key_master_info(Master_info *mi);
-uint any_slave_sql_running();
+uint any_slave_sql_running(bool already_locked);
 bool give_error_if_slave_running(bool already_lock);
 
 #endif /* HAVE_REPLICATION */
diff --git a/sql/rpl_parallel.cc b/sql/rpl_parallel.cc
index 6788f422cbd..5215faaa17b 100644
--- a/sql/rpl_parallel.cc
+++ b/sql/rpl_parallel.cc
@@ -1465,7 +1465,7 @@ rpl_parallel_change_thread_count(rpl_parallel_thread_pool *pool,
   */
   if (!new_count && !force)
   {
-    if (any_slave_sql_running())
+    if (any_slave_sql_running(false))
     {
       DBUG_PRINT("warning",
                  ("SQL threads running while trying to reset parallel pool"));
@@ -1620,7 +1620,7 @@ err:
 int rpl_parallel_resize_pool_if_no_slaves(void)
 {
   /* master_info_index is set to NULL on shutdown */
-  if (opt_slave_parallel_threads > 0 && !any_slave_sql_running())
+  if (opt_slave_parallel_threads > 0 && !any_slave_sql_running(false))
     return rpl_parallel_inactivate_pool(&global_rpl_thread_pool);
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/sql/rpl_rli.cc b/sql/rpl_rli.cc
index 2cda87925d1..59138a23daf 100644
--- a/sql/rpl_rli.cc
+++ b/sql/rpl_rli.cc
@@ -1917,7 +1917,7 @@ find_gtid_slave_pos_tables(THD *thd)
 {
   int err= 0;
   load_gtid_state_cb_data cb_data;
-  bool any_running;
+  uint num_running;
 
   mysql_mutex_lock(&rpl_global_gtid_slave_state->LOCK_slave_state);
   bool loaded= rpl_global_gtid_slave_state->loaded;
@@ -1949,10 +1949,17 @@ find_gtid_slave_pos_tables(THD *thd)
   if ((err= gtid_pos_auto_create_tables(&cb_data.table_list)))
     goto end;
 
-  any_running= any_slave_sql_running();
+  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_active_mi);
+  num_running= any_slave_sql_running(true);
   mysql_mutex_lock(&rpl_global_gtid_slave_state->LOCK_slave_state);
-  if (!any_running)
+  if (num_running <= 1)
   {
+    /*
+      If no slave is running now, the count will be 1, since this SQL thread
+      which is starting is included in the count. In this case, we can safely
+      replace the list, no-one can be trying to read it without lock.
+    */
+    DBUG_ASSERT(num_running == 1);
     rpl_global_gtid_slave_state->set_gtid_pos_tables_list(cb_data.table_list,
                                                           cb_data.default_entry);
     cb_data.table_list= NULL;
@@ -2012,6 +2019,7 @@ find_gtid_slave_pos_tables(THD *thd)
     }
   }
   mysql_mutex_unlock(&rpl_global_gtid_slave_state->LOCK_slave_state);
+  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_active_mi);
 
 end:
   if (cb_data.table_list)
diff --git a/sql/slave.cc b/sql/slave.cc
index 443e5b7a5f1..a892bba82c9 100644
--- a/sql/slave.cc
+++ b/sql/slave.cc
@@ -5279,6 +5279,14 @@ pthread_handler_t handle_slave_sql(void *arg)
     if (mi->using_gtid != Master_info::USE_GTID_NO || opt_gtid_strict_mode)
       goto err;
   }
+  /* Re-load the set of mysql.gtid_slave_posXXX tables available. */
+  if (find_gtid_slave_pos_tables(thd))
+  {
+    rli->report(ERROR_LEVEL, thd->get_stmt_da()->sql_errno(), NULL,
+                "Error processing replication GTID position tables: %s",
+                thd->get_stmt_da()->message());
+    goto err;
+  }
 
   /* execute init_slave variable */
   if (opt_init_slave.length)
diff --git a/sql/sql_repl.cc b/sql/sql_repl.cc
index 087fc293359..7c30aa38f1a 100644
--- a/sql/sql_repl.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_repl.cc
@@ -3031,10 +3031,6 @@ int start_slave(THD* thd , Master_info* mi,  bool net_report)
   if (check_access(thd, SUPER_ACL, any_db, NULL, NULL, 0, 0))
     DBUG_RETURN(-1);
 
-  /* Re-load the set of mysql.gtid_slave_posXXX tables available. */
-  if (find_gtid_slave_pos_tables(thd))
-    DBUG_RETURN(-1);
-
   create_logfile_name_with_suffix(master_info_file_tmp,
                                   sizeof(master_info_file_tmp),
                                   master_info_file, 0,