diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/innodb-virtual-columns.result b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/innodb-virtual-columns.result
index f91c4615af0..b08e01b346e 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/innodb-virtual-columns.result
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/innodb-virtual-columns.result
@@ -388,3 +388,20 @@ CHECK TABLE t1 EXTENDED;
 Table	Op	Msg_type	Msg_text
 test.t1	check	status	OK
 DROP TABLE t1;
+#
+# MDEV-40274 Server aborts while reloading the table after
+#     DISCARD TABLESPACE
+#
+call mtr.add_suppression("InnoDB: DISCARD TABLESPACE of table `test`\\.`t1` failed");
+call mtr.add_suppression("InnoDB: Table `test`\\.`t1` is corrupted");
+call mtr.add_suppression("Table `test`\\.`t1` is corrupted");
+CREATE TABLE t1(c1 INT) ENGINE=InnoDB;
+SET STATEMENT debug_dbug='+d,row_ins_sec_index_entry_timeout' FOR
+ALTER TABLE t1 DISCARD TABLESPACE;
+ERROR HY000: Got error 168 "Unknown (generic) error from engine" from storage engine InnoDB
+ALTER TABLE t1 ADD COLUMN cg16 INT AS(c1) VIRTUAL;
+ERROR 42000: Can't open table
+FLUSH TABLES;
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+ERROR HY000: Table `test`.`t1` is corrupted. Please drop the table and recreate.
+DROP TABLE t1;
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/innodb-virtual-columns.test b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/innodb-virtual-columns.test
index 6bb9ddc8dc4..5a9b73608aa 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/innodb-virtual-columns.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/innodb-virtual-columns.test
@@ -363,3 +363,23 @@ SET GLOBAL innodb_max_purge_lag_wait=0;
 
 CHECK TABLE t1 EXTENDED;
 DROP TABLE t1;
+
+--echo #
+--echo # MDEV-40274 Server aborts while reloading the table after
+--echo #     DISCARD TABLESPACE
+--echo #
+
+call mtr.add_suppression("InnoDB: DISCARD TABLESPACE of table `test`\\.`t1` failed");
+call mtr.add_suppression("InnoDB: Table `test`\\.`t1` is corrupted");
+call mtr.add_suppression("Table `test`\\.`t1` is corrupted");
+
+CREATE TABLE t1(c1 INT) ENGINE=InnoDB;
+--error ER_GET_ERRNO
+SET STATEMENT debug_dbug='+d,row_ins_sec_index_entry_timeout' FOR
+ALTER TABLE t1 DISCARD TABLESPACE;
+--error ER_CHECK_NO_SUCH_TABLE
+ALTER TABLE t1 ADD COLUMN cg16 INT AS(c1) VIRTUAL;
+FLUSH TABLES;
+--error ER_TABLE_CORRUPT
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
diff --git a/storage/innobase/dict/dict0dict.cc b/storage/innobase/dict/dict0dict.cc
index 4b76391e484..1edd5d71ea0 100644
--- a/storage/innobase/dict/dict0dict.cc
+++ b/storage/innobase/dict/dict0dict.cc
@@ -1038,7 +1038,8 @@ dict_table_open_on_name(
       if (!(ignore_err & ~DICT_ERR_IGNORE_FK_NOKEY) &&
           !table->is_readable() && table->corrupted)
       {
-        ulint algo= table->space->get_compression_algo();
+        const ulint algo= table->space
+          ? table->space->get_compression_algo() : ULINT_UNDEFINED;
         if (algo <= PAGE_ALGORITHM_LAST && !fil_comp_algo_loaded(algo))
           my_printf_error(ER_PROVIDER_NOT_LOADED,
                           "Table %`.*s.%`s is compressed with %s,"
diff --git a/storage/innobase/row/row0mysql.cc b/storage/innobase/row/row0mysql.cc
index 6e66c8f5ecd..6dfb58639e9 100644
--- a/storage/innobase/row/row0mysql.cc
+++ b/storage/innobase/row/row0mysql.cc
@@ -2460,6 +2460,19 @@ rollback:
   table->space= nullptr;
   table->flags2|= DICT_TF2_DISCARDED;
   err= row_discard_tablespace(trx, table);
+  if (UNIV_UNLIKELY(err != DB_SUCCESS))
+  {
+    /* In case of error, table cannot be loaded from the data
+    dictionary any longer. Flag the table as corrupted, so that no
+    operation other than DROP TABLE will be attempted on it. */
+    table->corrupted= true;
+    ib::error() << "DISCARD TABLESPACE of table " << table->name
+                << " failed: " << ut_strerr(err)
+                << "; the data dictionary is now inconsistent. Please"
+                   " DROP TABLE " << table->name
+                << " and restore it from a backup.";
+  }
+
   DBUG_EXECUTE_IF("ib_discard_before_commit_crash",
                   log_buffer_flush_to_disk(); DBUG_SUICIDE(););
   /* FTS_ tables may be deleted */