<p>MySQL error 1574 signals that the server binary was compiled without row-based replication support, blocking any attempt to use ROW binlog format.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1574: ER_RBR_NOT_AVAILABLE means the server binary lacks row-based replication support. Install or recompile a MySQL build with RBR enabled, or switch binlog_format back to STATEMENT to resolve the problem.</p>
The server was not built with row-based replication
The exact message "The server was not built with row-based replication" appears when you set binlog_format = ROW or when a replica receives row-based events. The server binary you are running was compiled without the row-based replication (RBR) feature.
Because RBR is missing, the server cannot generate or apply row events. Anything that forces ROW format - such as full-image CDC, certain DDLs, or modern replication topologies - immediately fails with error 1574.
Administrators encounter the error while enabling GTID or migrating to logical decoding tools that require ROW format. It can also surface on legacy systems after upgrading a replica that now expects RBR support from its upstream master.
Although current MySQL distributions ship with RBR enabled by default, custom or minimal builds created before MySQL 5.1.8, or stripped-down embedded builds, may still lack the necessary compilation flag, triggering the issue.
Modern replication, point-in-time recovery, and many backup utilities depend on row events. Operating without RBR limits you to statement-based replication, raises data drift risk, and blocks migration to contemporary high-availability architectures.
The source was configured with -DWITHOUT_PARTITION_STORAGE_ENGINE or other minimal flags that exclude row-based replication code.
The server runs a pre-5.1.8 binary from a vendor repository that never turned on RBR support.
Lightweight distributions for appliances sometimes disable RBR to shrink footprint, leading to error 1574 when replication is later required.
A newer replica expecting row events connects to an older master compiled without RBR, causing the replication channel to stop immediately.
Appears when the replica does not understand a newer event type, often after version mismatches.
A generic SQL error unrelated to replication but frequently encountered during migrations.
Occurs when a replica cannot initialize replication metadata, sometimes following error 1574.
Yes, if you compile from source with minimal flags, but official binaries always include RBR.
No. You must run a binary that contains the RBR code before you can switch binlog_format to ROW.
Statement mode works but is more prone to nondeterministic results, especially with NOW() and LIMIT clauses.
Galaxy validates session variables during connection and flags unsupported binlog formats, letting engineers know before running replication-dependent queries.
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