diff --git a/mysql-test/r/func_str.result b/mysql-test/r/func_str.result
index 25cbf2470ed..a0c3935fde0 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/func_str.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/func_str.result
@@ -2525,6 +2525,15 @@ SELECT DATE_FORMAT(c, GET_FORMAT(DATE, 'eur')) h, CONCAT(UPPER(aa),', ', aa) i F
 h	i
 31.12.2008	AAAAAA, aaaaaa
 DROP TABLE t1;
+#
+# BUG#44774: load_file function produces valgrind warnings
+#
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a TINYBLOB);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('aaaaaaaa');
+SELECT LOAD_FILE(a) FROM t1;
+LOAD_FILE(a)
+NULL
+DROP TABLE t1;
 End of 5.0 tests
 drop table if exists t1;
 create table t1(f1 tinyint default null)engine=myisam;
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/func_str.test b/mysql-test/t/func_str.test
index ef406d2aeca..7cb7f7f72d2 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/func_str.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/func_str.test
@@ -1282,6 +1282,16 @@ INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('2008-12-31','aaaaaa');
 SELECT DATE_FORMAT(c, GET_FORMAT(DATE, 'eur')) h, CONCAT(UPPER(aa),', ', aa) i FROM t1;
 DROP TABLE t1;
 
+
+--echo #
+--echo # BUG#44774: load_file function produces valgrind warnings
+--echo #
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a TINYBLOB);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES ('aaaaaaaa');
+SELECT LOAD_FILE(a) FROM t1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+
+
 --echo End of 5.0 tests
 
 #
diff --git a/sql/item_strfunc.cc b/sql/item_strfunc.cc
index 267036e4a3d..501b7e85080 100644
--- a/sql/item_strfunc.cc
+++ b/sql/item_strfunc.cc
@@ -2943,7 +2943,7 @@ String *Item_load_file::val_str(String *str)
       )
     goto err;
 
-  (void) fn_format(path, file_name->c_ptr(), mysql_real_data_home, "",
+  (void) fn_format(path, file_name->c_ptr_safe(), mysql_real_data_home, "",
 		   MY_RELATIVE_PATH | MY_UNPACK_FILENAME);
 
   /* Read only allowed from within dir specified by secure_file_priv */
@@ -2969,7 +2969,7 @@ String *Item_load_file::val_str(String *str)
   }
   if (tmp_value.alloc(stat_info.st_size))
     goto err;
-  if ((file = my_open(file_name->c_ptr(), O_RDONLY, MYF(0))) < 0)
+  if ((file = my_open(file_name->ptr(), O_RDONLY, MYF(0))) < 0)
     goto err;
   if (my_read(file, (uchar*) tmp_value.ptr(), stat_info.st_size, MYF(MY_NABP)))
   {