The server warns that an internal native system table is missing or its column layout differs from what the current MySQL version expects.
MySQL error 3234 (ER_WARN_WRONG_NATIVE_TABLE_STRUCTURE) means a required native system table has a mismatching schema or is absent. Run mysql_upgrade or recreate the table to match the server version to resolve the warning.
ER_WARN_WRONG_NATIVE_TABLE_STRUCTURE
MySQL raises error 3234 with SQLSTATE HY000 when it checks a built-in native table during startup or DDL execution and finds that the table is absent or its columns do not match the expected definition for the running server version.
The message is usually a warning, not a fatal stop, but it signals that essential metadata or privilege information could be unreliable until the table is repaired. Fixing it quickly prevents cascading errors.
Version upgrades that skip mysql_upgrade often leave internal tables in outdated formats, triggering the mismatch warning on next restart.
Manual deletion or corruption of mysql system tables can also provoke the error because the server cannot verify the required column list.
In rare cases, custom scripts that alter the mysql schema inadvertently change a column length or index, producing the structure divergence.
The safest remedy is to run mysql_upgrade or the in-place upgrade path for MySQL 8.0 which rebuilds all native tables with the correct definitions.
If a single table is affected, you can drop and recreate it using the definition from the MySQL source distribution or run mysql_install_db with the --force flag.
After an OS package upgrade, restarting MySQL prints this warning. Running sudo mysql_upgrade resolves it without downtime.
On replicated setups, a read replica might show the warning because replicating DDL altered the table. Recreate the table on the replica or run clone operations.
Always execute mysql_upgrade immediately after upgrading binaries or switching Docker images so that internal tables migrate alongside code.
Restrict write access to the mysql schema in production to prevent accidental ALTER TABLE commands that change system definitions.
Error 1146 table does not exist arises when the server cannot find a user table, while 3234 relates to native tables only. Both are fixed by recreating the missing table.
Error 1805 column count does not match occurs with mismatched row formats in user tables and is solved by ALTER TABLE ... FORCE or rebuild operations.
Binary upgrades change system table layouts. Skipping mysql_upgrade leaves outdated structures that prompt the warning.
Running ALTER TABLE inside the mysql database can add or remove columns, breaking the native definition.
Disk issues may truncate an .ibd or .frm file so MySQL reads an incomplete column list and reports the mismatch.
Restoring only user tables while omitting system tables causes the new server to miss required objects, triggering the warning.
Occurs when a referenced user table is missing entirely.
Triggers when an INSERT or UPDATE supplies a different number of columns than the table definition.
An internal mismatch similar to 3234 but raised during stored program compilation.
No. The server may run, but privileges or performance metadata can be incorrect, so resolve it promptly.
In MySQL 5.7 and above, mysql_upgrade can run while the server is online, but plan a maintenance window for safety.
Some native tables only hold metadata generated by the server, but privilege tables contain user accounts, so back up before dropping.
Galaxy stores upgrade scripts in versioned collections, making it easy to rerun mysql_upgrade and share validated fixes across teams.
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