diff --git a/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result b/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result
index ce304b136d0..6c7b7127975 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/partition_error.result
@@ -1,5 +1,75 @@
 drop table if exists t1;
 #
+# Bug#42954: SQL MODE 'NO_DIR_IN_CREATE' does not work with
+#            subpartitions
+SET @org_mode=@@sql_mode;
+SET @@sql_mode='NO_DIR_IN_CREATE';
+SELECT @@sql_mode;
+@@sql_mode
+NO_DIR_IN_CREATE
+CREATE TABLE t1 (id INT, purchased DATE)
+PARTITION BY RANGE(YEAR(purchased))
+SUBPARTITION BY HASH(TO_DAYS(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+DATA DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing' 
+INDEX DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing');
+Warnings:
+Warning	1618	<DATA DIRECTORY> option ignored
+Warning	1618	<INDEX DIRECTORY> option ignored
+Warning	1618	<DATA DIRECTORY> option ignored
+Warning	1618	<INDEX DIRECTORY> option ignored
+SHOW CREATE TABLE t1;
+Table	Create Table
+t1	CREATE TABLE `t1` (
+  `id` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
+  `purchased` date DEFAULT NULL
+) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1
+/*!50100 PARTITION BY RANGE (YEAR(purchased))
+SUBPARTITION BY HASH (TO_DAYS(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE ENGINE = MyISAM) */
+DROP TABLE t1;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (id INT, purchased DATE)
+PARTITION BY RANGE(YEAR(purchased))
+SUBPARTITION BY HASH(TO_DAYS(purchased)) SUBPARTITIONS 2
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+(SUBPARTITION sp0
+DATA DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing' 
+INDEX DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing',
+SUBPARTITION sp1));
+Warnings:
+Warning	1618	<DATA DIRECTORY> option ignored
+Warning	1618	<INDEX DIRECTORY> option ignored
+SHOW CREATE TABLE t1;
+Table	Create Table
+t1	CREATE TABLE `t1` (
+  `id` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
+  `purchased` date DEFAULT NULL
+) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1
+/*!50100 PARTITION BY RANGE (YEAR(purchased))
+SUBPARTITION BY HASH (TO_DAYS(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+ (SUBPARTITION sp0 ENGINE = MyISAM,
+  SUBPARTITION sp1 ENGINE = MyISAM)) */
+DROP TABLE t1;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (id INT, purchased DATE)
+PARTITION BY RANGE(YEAR(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+DATA DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing' 
+INDEX DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing');
+Warnings:
+Warning	1618	<DATA DIRECTORY> option ignored
+Warning	1618	<INDEX DIRECTORY> option ignored
+SHOW CREATE TABLE t1;
+Table	Create Table
+t1	CREATE TABLE `t1` (
+  `id` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
+  `purchased` date DEFAULT NULL
+) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1
+/*!50100 PARTITION BY RANGE (YEAR(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE ENGINE = MyISAM) */
+DROP TABLE t1;
+SET @@sql_mode= @org_mode;
+#
 # Bug#50392: insert_id is not reset for partitioned tables
 #            auto_increment on duplicate entry
 CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY);
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test b/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test
index bfa1206fe2d..d1b152c8799 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/partition_error.test
@@ -7,7 +7,40 @@
 --disable_warnings
 drop table if exists t1;
 --enable_warnings
- 
+
+--echo #
+--echo # Bug#42954: SQL MODE 'NO_DIR_IN_CREATE' does not work with
+--echo #            subpartitions
+SET @org_mode=@@sql_mode;
+SET @@sql_mode='NO_DIR_IN_CREATE';
+SELECT @@sql_mode;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (id INT, purchased DATE)
+PARTITION BY RANGE(YEAR(purchased))
+SUBPARTITION BY HASH(TO_DAYS(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+  DATA DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing' 
+  INDEX DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing');
+SHOW CREATE TABLE t1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (id INT, purchased DATE)
+PARTITION BY RANGE(YEAR(purchased))
+SUBPARTITION BY HASH(TO_DAYS(purchased)) SUBPARTITIONS 2
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+ (SUBPARTITION sp0
+   DATA DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing' 
+   INDEX DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing',
+  SUBPARTITION sp1));
+SHOW CREATE TABLE t1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (id INT, purchased DATE)
+PARTITION BY RANGE(YEAR(purchased))
+(PARTITION p0 VALUES LESS THAN MAXVALUE
+  DATA DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing' 
+  INDEX DIRECTORY = '/tmp/not-existing');
+SHOW CREATE TABLE t1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+SET @@sql_mode= @org_mode;
+
 --echo #
 --echo # Bug#50392: insert_id is not reset for partitioned tables
 --echo #            auto_increment on duplicate entry
diff --git a/sql/partition_info.cc b/sql/partition_info.cc
index f42a8ee2312..4a2d457df9c 100644
--- a/sql/partition_info.cc
+++ b/sql/partition_info.cc
@@ -1032,6 +1032,30 @@ end:
   DBUG_RETURN(result);
 }
 
+/**
+  Check if we allow DATA/INDEX DIRECTORY, if not warn and set them to NULL.
+
+  @param thd  THD also containing sql_mode (looks from MODE_NO_DIR_IN_CREATE).
+  @param part_elem partition_element to check.
+*/
+static void warn_if_dir_in_part_elem(THD *thd, partition_element *part_elem)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_READLINK
+  if (!my_use_symdir || (thd->variables.sql_mode & MODE_NO_DIR_IN_CREATE))
+#endif
+  {
+    if (part_elem->data_file_name)
+      push_warning_printf(thd, MYSQL_ERROR::WARN_LEVEL_WARN,
+                          WARN_OPTION_IGNORED, ER(WARN_OPTION_IGNORED),
+                          "DATA DIRECTORY");
+    if (part_elem->index_file_name)
+      push_warning_printf(thd, MYSQL_ERROR::WARN_LEVEL_WARN,
+                          WARN_OPTION_IGNORED, ER(WARN_OPTION_IGNORED),
+                          "INDEX DIRECTORY");
+    part_elem->data_file_name= part_elem->index_file_name= NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 
 /*
   This code is used early in the CREATE TABLE and ALTER TABLE process.
@@ -1169,20 +1193,7 @@ bool partition_info::check_partition_info(THD *thd, handlerton **eng_type,
     do
     {
       partition_element *part_elem= part_it++;
-#ifdef HAVE_READLINK
-      if (!my_use_symdir || (thd->variables.sql_mode & MODE_NO_DIR_IN_CREATE))
-#endif
-      {
-        if (part_elem->data_file_name)
-          push_warning_printf(thd, MYSQL_ERROR::WARN_LEVEL_WARN,
-                              WARN_OPTION_IGNORED, ER(WARN_OPTION_IGNORED),
-                              "DATA DIRECTORY");
-        if (part_elem->index_file_name)
-          push_warning_printf(thd, MYSQL_ERROR::WARN_LEVEL_WARN,
-                              WARN_OPTION_IGNORED, ER(WARN_OPTION_IGNORED),
-                              "INDEX DIRECTORY");
-        part_elem->data_file_name= part_elem->index_file_name= NULL;
-      }
+      warn_if_dir_in_part_elem(thd, part_elem);
       if (!is_sub_partitioned())
       {
         if (part_elem->engine_type == NULL)
@@ -1208,6 +1219,7 @@ bool partition_info::check_partition_info(THD *thd, handlerton **eng_type,
         do
         {
           sub_elem= sub_it++;
+          warn_if_dir_in_part_elem(thd, sub_elem);
           if (check_table_name(sub_elem->partition_name,
                                strlen(sub_elem->partition_name)))
           {