<p>The error appears when a session tries to change the binlog_format variable while a transaction is still open, which MySQL forbids to protect binary log consistency.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1679: ER_INSIDE_TRANSACTION_PREVENTS_SWITCH_BINLOG_FORMAT arises when you issue SET @@session.binlog_format while a transaction is active. Commit or roll back the transaction, then run the SET statement, or change binlog_format globally at startup to resolve the problem.</p>
Cannot modify @@session.binlog_format inside a
Error 1679 signals that the server blocked a change to @@session.binlog_format because the session is inside an active transaction. MySQL prohibits switching binary logging format mid-transaction to avoid inconsistent events in the binary log.
The error is thrown immediately when the SET statement executes, and the transaction remains open. No data is lost, but your DML statements will not finish until you address the variable change.
The condition appears most often in stored procedures, application frameworks, or interactive sessions that attempt to toggle from ROW to STATEMENT format (or vice-versa) for performance reasons after BEGIN has already been issued.
It also shows up in migration scripts that wrap multiple DDL changes in a single transaction and try to set binlog_format between steps.
If left unresolved, the transaction remains open, holding locks and consuming resources. This can slow concurrent workloads and even lead to deadlocks. Fixing the error quickly restores normal flow and keeps the binary log consistent for replication and point-in-time recovery.
Running SET @@session.binlog_format='ROW' after BEGIN or START TRANSACTION immediately triggers the error.
Some connectors start a transaction implicitly after the first DML statement. Subsequent SET commands fail even if you never issued BEGIN manually.
Procedures that begin with START TRANSACTION and later try to adjust binlog_format break when executed.
Tools like Flyway or Liquibase may encapsulate multiple DDL steps in one transaction and change binlog_format between steps, causing the error.
Occurs when an invalid value is supplied to a system variable.
Thrown when a write operation is attempted in a read-only transaction.
Happens when mixing row-based events with statement-based storage engines.
Warns that the statement is unsafe for statement-based replication.
You can skip binary logging with SET sql_log_bin=0, but changing binlog_format still requires you to be outside a transaction.
Yes. The restriction exists from MySQL 5.1 (when row-based logging was introduced) through the latest 8.x releases.
No. The transaction stays open. You must explicitly COMMIT or ROLLBACK before retrying the SET command.
Galaxy’s linting engine analyzes scripts in real time and warns when session variables are altered mid-transaction, letting you fix the issue before running the query.
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