diff --git a/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.result b/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.result
index 756d2e85f7c..ba4d38dd623 100644
--- a/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.result
+++ b/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.result
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ select length(@obj), length(@arr);
 length(@obj)	length(@arr)
 5000009	5000009
 set max_statement_time=0.0001;
+SET @old_debug= @@debug_dbug;
+SET debug_dbug='+d,debug_max_statement_time exceeded';
 select json_array_append(@arr, '$[0]', 1);
 ERROR 70100: Query execution was interrupted (max_statement_time exceeded)
 select json_array_insert(@arr, '$[0]', 1);
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ select json_replace(@obj,'$.foo',1);
 ERROR 70100: Query execution was interrupted (max_statement_time exceeded)
 select json_set(@arr,'$[1000]',1);
 ERROR 70100: Query execution was interrupted (max_statement_time exceeded)
+SET debug_dbug= @old_debug;
 disconnect u;
 connection default;
 set global max_allowed_packet=default;
diff --git a/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.test b/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.test
index 893b248301c..1e05571e16f 100644
--- a/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.test
+++ b/mysql-test/main/func_json_notembedded.test
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 source include/have_profiling.inc;
 source include/not_embedded.inc;
 source include/no_valgrind_without_big.inc;
+source include/have_debug.inc;
 
 set global max_allowed_packet=1073741824;
 connect u,localhost,root;
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@ select length(@obj), length(@arr);
 
 set max_statement_time=0.0001;
 disable_abort_on_error;
+SET @old_debug= @@debug_dbug;
+SET debug_dbug='+d,debug_max_statement_time exceeded';
 select json_array_append(@arr, '$[0]', 1);
 select json_array_insert(@arr, '$[0]', 1);
 select json_insert(@obj, '$.meta', 1);
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ select json_remove(@obj,'$.foo');
 select json_replace(@obj,'$.foo',1);
 select json_set(@arr,'$[1000]',1);
 enable_abort_on_error;
+SET debug_dbug= @old_debug;
 disconnect u;
 connection default;
 set global max_allowed_packet=default;
diff --git a/sql/item_func.cc b/sql/item_func.cc
index 0d798847a5a..f2d35887c14 100644
--- a/sql/item_func.cc
+++ b/sql/item_func.cc
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ bool check_reserved_words(const LEX_CSTRING *name)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+void pause_execution(THD *thd, double timeout);
+static int do_pause(THD *thd, Interruptible_wait *timed_cond,
+                    mysql_cond_t *cond, double timeout);
 
 /**
    Test if the sum of arguments overflows the ulonglong range.
@@ -4612,32 +4615,7 @@ longlong Item_func_sleep::val_int()
   if (timeout < 0.00001)
     return 0;
 
-  timed_cond.set_timeout((ulonglong) (timeout * 1000000000.0));
-
-  mysql_cond_init(key_item_func_sleep_cond, &cond, NULL);
-  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_item_func_sleep);
-
-  THD_STAGE_INFO(thd, stage_user_sleep);
-  thd->mysys_var->current_mutex= &LOCK_item_func_sleep;
-  thd->mysys_var->current_cond=  &cond;
-
-  error= 0;
-  thd_wait_begin(thd, THD_WAIT_SLEEP);
-  while (!thd->killed)
-  {
-    error= timed_cond.wait(&cond, &LOCK_item_func_sleep);
-    if (error == ETIMEDOUT || error == ETIME)
-      break;
-    error= 0;
-  }
-  thd_wait_end(thd);
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_item_func_sleep);
-  mysql_mutex_lock(&thd->mysys_var->mutex);
-  thd->mysys_var->current_mutex= 0;
-  thd->mysys_var->current_cond=  0;
-  mysql_mutex_unlock(&thd->mysys_var->mutex);
-
-  mysql_cond_destroy(&cond);
+  error= do_pause(thd, &timed_cond, &cond, timeout);
 
 #ifdef ENABLED_DEBUG_SYNC
   DBUG_EXECUTE_IF("sleep_inject_query_done_debug_sync", {
@@ -7358,3 +7336,43 @@ void fix_rownum_pointers(THD *thd, SELECT_LEX *select_lex, ha_rows *ptr)
       ((Item_func_rownum*) item)->store_pointer_to_row_counter(ptr);
   }
 }
+
+static int do_pause(THD *thd, Interruptible_wait *timed_cond, mysql_cond_t *cond, double timeout)
+{
+  int error= 0;
+  timed_cond->set_timeout((ulonglong) (timeout * 1000000000.0));
+
+  mysql_cond_init(key_item_func_sleep_cond, cond, NULL);
+  mysql_mutex_lock(&LOCK_item_func_sleep);
+
+  THD_STAGE_INFO(thd, stage_user_sleep);
+  thd->mysys_var->current_mutex= &LOCK_item_func_sleep;
+  thd->mysys_var->current_cond=  cond;
+
+  thd_wait_begin(thd, THD_WAIT_SLEEP);
+  while (!thd->killed)
+  {
+    error= timed_cond->wait(cond, &LOCK_item_func_sleep);
+    if (error == ETIMEDOUT || error == ETIME)
+      break;
+    error= 0;
+  }
+  thd_wait_end(thd);
+  mysql_mutex_unlock(&LOCK_item_func_sleep);
+  mysql_mutex_lock(&thd->mysys_var->mutex);
+  thd->mysys_var->current_mutex= 0;
+  thd->mysys_var->current_cond=  0;
+  mysql_mutex_unlock(&thd->mysys_var->mutex);
+
+  mysql_cond_destroy(cond);
+
+  return error;
+}
+
+void pause_execution(THD *thd, double timeout)
+{
+  Interruptible_wait timed_cond(thd);
+  mysql_cond_t cond;
+
+  do_pause(thd, &timed_cond, &cond, timeout);
+}
diff --git a/sql/item_func.h b/sql/item_func.h
index 0f34f3f6c0e..749c8fc4dd4 100644
--- a/sql/item_func.h
+++ b/sql/item_func.h
@@ -4312,6 +4312,7 @@ public:
   { return get_item_copy<Item_func_setval>(thd, this); }
 };
 
+class Interruptible_wait;
 
 Item *get_system_var(THD *thd, enum_var_type var_type,
                      const LEX_CSTRING *name, const LEX_CSTRING *component);
diff --git a/sql/item_jsonfunc.cc b/sql/item_jsonfunc.cc
index f5d321b57e1..603e8220aed 100644
--- a/sql/item_jsonfunc.cc
+++ b/sql/item_jsonfunc.cc
@@ -29,6 +29,23 @@ static int dbug_json_check_min_stack_requirement()
 }
 #endif
 
+extern void pause_execution(THD *thd, double timeout);
+
+/*
+  Allocating memory and *also* using it (reading and
+  writing from it) because some build instructions cause
+  compiler to optimize out stack_used_up. Since alloca()
+  here depends on stack_used_up, it doesnt get executed
+  correctly and causes json_debug_nonembedded to fail
+  ( --error ER_STACK_OVERRUN_NEED_MORE does not occur).
+*/
+
+#define JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(A, B) do \
+                                 { \
+                                  DBUG_EXECUTE_IF("json_pause_execution", \
+                                  { pause_execution(A, B); }); \
+                                 } while(0)
+
 /*
   Compare ASCII string against the string with the specified
   character set.
@@ -1965,6 +1982,8 @@ err_return:
 
 bool Item_func_json_array_append::fix_length_and_dec(THD *thd)
 {
+  JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(thd, 0.0002);
+
   uint n_arg;
   ulonglong char_length;
 
@@ -2123,6 +2142,8 @@ String *Item_func_json_array_insert::val_str(String *str)
   uint n_arg, n_path;
   THD *thd= current_thd;
 
+  JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(thd, 0.0002);
+
   DBUG_ASSERT(fixed());
 
   if ((null_value= args[0]->null_value))
@@ -2528,6 +2549,8 @@ String *Item_func_json_merge::val_str(String *str)
   THD *thd= current_thd;
   LINT_INIT(js2);
 
+  JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(thd, 0.0002);
+
   if (args[0]->null_value)
     goto null_return;
 
@@ -2837,6 +2860,8 @@ String *Item_func_json_merge_patch::val_str(String *str)
   bool empty_result, merge_to_null;
   THD *thd= current_thd;
 
+  JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(thd, 0.0002);
+
   /* To report errors properly if some JSON is invalid. */
   je1.s.error= je2.s.error= 0;
   merge_to_null= args[0]->null_value;
@@ -3129,6 +3154,8 @@ bool Item_func_json_insert::fix_length_and_dec(THD *thd)
   uint n_arg;
   ulonglong char_length;
 
+  JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(thd, 0.0002);
+
   collation.set(args[0]->collation);
   char_length= args[0]->max_char_length();
 
@@ -3423,6 +3450,8 @@ String *Item_func_json_remove::val_str(String *str)
 
   DBUG_ASSERT(fixed());
 
+  JSON_DO_PAUSE_EXECUTION(thd, 0.0002);
+
   if (args[0]->null_value)
     goto null_return;