diff --git a/Docs/manual.texi b/Docs/manual.texi
index c46546cc93f..f63cbf03242 100644
--- a/Docs/manual.texi
+++ b/Docs/manual.texi
@@ -30091,6 +30091,15 @@ mysql> select OCTET_LENGTH('text');
 Note that for @code{CHAR_LENGTH()}, multi-byte characters are only counted
 once.
 
+@findex BIT_LENGTH()
+@item BIT_LENGTH(str)
+Returns the length of the string @code{str} in bits:
+
+@example
+mysql> select BIT_LENGTH('text');
+        -> 32
+@end example
+
 @findex LOCATE()
 @findex POSITION()
 @item LOCATE(substr,str)
@@ -47996,6 +48005,8 @@ Our TODO section contains what we plan to have in 4.0. @xref{TODO MySQL 4.0}.
 
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
+ODBC compatibility: added @code{BIT_LENGTH()} function.
+@item
 Added @code{CAST()} and @code{CONVERT()} functions.
 @item
 Changed order of how keys are created in tables.
diff --git a/mysql-test/r/func_str.result b/mysql-test/r/func_str.result
index 5aca1f6b021..a58f3c57169 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/func_str.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/func_str.result
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ hellomonty
 select length('\n\t\r\b\0\_\%\\');
 length('\n\t\r\b\0\_\%\\')
 10
+select bit_length('\n\t\r\b\0\_\%\\');
+bit_length('\n\t\r\b\0\_\%\\')
+80
 select concat('monty',' was here ','again'),length('hello'),char(ascii('h'));
 concat('monty',' was here ','again')	length('hello')	char(ascii('h'))
 monty was here again	5	h
diff --git a/mysql-test/r/handler.result b/mysql-test/r/handler.result
index cd39657c470..d495dde75bf 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/handler.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/handler.result
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ a	b
 handler t2 read next;
 a	b
 18	eee
+alter table t1 type=MyISAM;
 handler t2 read next;
 a	b
 19	fff
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/func_str.test b/mysql-test/t/func_str.test
index fd6ff0d70e7..26272fba03f 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/func_str.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/func_str.test
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ drop table if exists t1;
 select 'hello',"'hello'",'""hello""','''h''e''l''l''o''',"hel""lo",'hel\'lo';
 select 'hello' 'monty';
 select length('\n\t\r\b\0\_\%\\');
+select bit_length('\n\t\r\b\0\_\%\\');
 select concat('monty',' was here ','again'),length('hello'),char(ascii('h'));
 select locate('he','hello'),locate('he','hello',2),locate('lo','hello',2) ;
 select instr('hello','HE'), instr('hello',binary 'HE'), instr(binary 'hello','HE'); 
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/handler.test b/mysql-test/t/handler.test
index 359c5641056..4f1b11c80ff 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/handler.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/handler.test
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ handler t2 read a=(19) where b="yyy";
 
 handler t2 read first;
 handler t2 read next;
+alter table t1 type=MyISAM;
 handler t2 read next;
 !$1064 handler t2 read last;
 
 handler t2 close;
 drop table if exists t1;
+
diff --git a/scripts/mysqlhotcopy.sh b/scripts/mysqlhotcopy.sh
index caf2615fe7a..063ff8be750 100644
--- a/scripts/mysqlhotcopy.sh
+++ b/scripts/mysqlhotcopy.sh
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ foreach my $rdb ( @db_desc ) {
 
     $rdb->{files}  = [ @db_files ];
     $rdb->{index}  = [ @index_files ];
-    my @hc_tables = map { "$db.$_" } @dbh_tables;
+    my @hc_tables = map { "`$db.$_`" } @dbh_tables;
     $rdb->{tables} = [ @hc_tables ];
 
     $rdb->{raid_dirs} = [ get_raid_dirs( $rdb->{files} ) ];
diff --git a/sql/item_create.cc b/sql/item_create.cc
index 4b60ad1bf56..6f64e9517ba 100644
--- a/sql/item_create.cc
+++ b/sql/item_create.cc
@@ -200,6 +200,11 @@ Item *create_func_length(Item* a)
   return new Item_func_length(a);
 }
 
+Item *create_func_bit_length(Item* a)
+{
+  return new Item_func_bit_length(a);
+}
+
 Item *create_func_char_length(Item* a)
 {
   return new Item_func_char_length(a);
diff --git a/sql/item_create.h b/sql/item_create.h
index 9318025cae8..580596505da 100644
--- a/sql/item_create.h
+++ b/sql/item_create.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Item *create_func_ascii(Item* a);
 Item *create_func_asin(Item* a);
 Item *create_func_bin(Item* a);
 Item *create_func_bit_count(Item* a);
+Item *create_func_bit_length(Item* a);
 Item *create_func_ceiling(Item* a);
 Item *create_func_char_length(Item* a);
 Item *create_func_connection_id(void);
diff --git a/sql/item_func.h b/sql/item_func.h
index 91fd6cdcc26..f7794028998 100644
--- a/sql/item_func.h
+++ b/sql/item_func.h
@@ -522,6 +522,14 @@ public:
   void fix_length_and_dec() { max_length=10; }
 };
 
+class Item_func_bit_length :public Item_func_length
+{
+public:
+  Item_func_bit_length(Item *a) :Item_func_length(a) {}
+  longlong val_int() { return Item_func_length::val_int()*8; }
+  const char *func_name() const { return "bit_length"; }
+};
+
 class Item_func_char_length :public Item_int_func
 {
   String value;
diff --git a/sql/lex.h b/sql/lex.h
index c2664e4e8c0..c9382275f0e 100644
--- a/sql/lex.h
+++ b/sql/lex.h
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ static SYMBOL sql_functions[] = {
   { "BIT_AND",		SYM(BIT_AND),0,0},
   { "CAST",		SYM(CAST_SYM),0,0},
   { "CEILING",		SYM(FUNC_ARG1),0,CREATE_FUNC(create_func_ceiling)},
+  { "BIT_LENGTH",	SYM(FUNC_ARG1),0,CREATE_FUNC(create_func_bit_length)},
   { "CHAR_LENGTH",	SYM(FUNC_ARG1),0,CREATE_FUNC(create_func_char_length)},
   { "CHARACTER_LENGTH", SYM(FUNC_ARG1),0,CREATE_FUNC(create_func_char_length)},
   { "COALESCE",		SYM(COALESCE),0,0},
diff --git a/sql/sql_handler.cc b/sql/sql_handler.cc
index f7effdc67e6..0c6b5599519 100644
--- a/sql/sql_handler.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_handler.cc
@@ -130,7 +130,11 @@ int mysql_ha_read(THD *thd, TABLE_LIST *tables,
   select_limit+=offset_limit;
   send_fields(thd,list,1);
 
+  HANDLER_TABLES_HACK(thd);
   MYSQL_LOCK *lock=mysql_lock_tables(thd,&tables->table,1);
+  HANDLER_TABLES_HACK(thd);
+  if (!lock)
+     goto err0; // mysql_lock_tables() printed error message already
 
   for (uint num_rows=0; num_rows < select_limit; )
   {
@@ -238,6 +242,7 @@ ok:
   return 0;
 err:
   mysql_unlock_tables(thd,lock);
+err0:
   return -1;
 }