diff --git a/include/mysql.h b/include/mysql.h
index 76b168303..44ce6d0f8 100644
--- a/include/mysql.h
+++ b/include/mysql.h
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ extern const char *SQLSTATE_UNKNOWN;
     /* MariaDB specific */
     MYSQL_PROGRESS_CALLBACK=5999,
     MYSQL_OPT_NONBLOCK,
+    MARIADB_OPT_FOLLOW_INSTANT_FAILOVERS,
+
     /* MariaDB Connector/C specific */
     MYSQL_DATABASE_DRIVER=7000,
     MARIADB_OPT_SSL_FP,             /* deprecated, use MARIADB_OPT_TLS_PEER_FP instead */
@@ -337,12 +339,19 @@ struct st_mysql_options {
     char *bind_address;
     my_bool secure_auth;
     my_bool report_data_truncation; 
+    my_bool follow_instant_failovers;
+
     /* function pointers for local infile support */
     int (*local_infile_init)(void **, const char *, void *);
     int (*local_infile_read)(void *, char *, unsigned int);
     void (*local_infile_end)(void *);
     int (*local_infile_error)(void *, char *, unsigned int);
     void *local_infile_userdata;
+
+    /* WHY are some options relegated to this "extension" structure?
+     * What is the logic for distinguishing the "main" options from
+     * the extension options?
+     */
     struct st_mysql_options_extension *extension;
 };
 
diff --git a/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c b/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c
index 4a5ecabf3..6c9ffaaf7 100644
--- a/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c
+++ b/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c
@@ -668,6 +668,7 @@ struct st_default_options mariadb_defaults[] =
   {{MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME}, MARIADB_OPTION_STR, "default-character-set"},
   {{MARIADB_OPT_INTERACTIVE}, MARIADB_OPTION_NONE, "interactive-timeout"},
   {{MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT}, MARIADB_OPTION_INT, "connect-timeout"},
+  {{MARIADB_OPT_FOLLOW_INSTANT_FAILOVERS}, MARIADB_OPTION_BOOL, "follow-instant-failovers"},
   {{MYSQL_OPT_LOCAL_INFILE}, MARIADB_OPTION_BOOL, "local-infile"},
   {{0}, 0 ,"disable-local-infile",},
   {{MYSQL_OPT_SSL_CIPHER}, MARIADB_OPTION_STR, "ssl-cipher"},
@@ -1294,6 +1295,7 @@ mysql_init(MYSQL *mysql)
     goto error;
   mysql->options.report_data_truncation= 1;
   mysql->options.connect_timeout=CONNECT_TIMEOUT;
+  mysql->options.follow_instant_failovers= TRUE;
   mysql->charset= mysql_find_charset_name(MARIADB_DEFAULT_CHARSET);
   mysql->methods= &MARIADB_DEFAULT_METHODS;
   strcpy(mysql->net.sqlstate, "00000");
@@ -1995,23 +1997,31 @@ MYSQL *mthd_my_real_connect(MYSQL *mysql, const char *host, const char *user,
   {
     if (mysql->net.last_errno == ER_INSTANT_FAILOVER)
     {
-      char *p= mysql->net.last_error; /* Should look like '|message|host[:port]' */
-      if (p && p[0] == '|')
-        p= strchr(p + 1, '|') ? : NULL;
-      if (p && *++p) {
-        host= p;
-        p= strchr(p, ':') ? : NULL;
-        if (p) {
-          *p++ = '\0';
-          port= atoi(p);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-          /* Restore to the default port, rather than reusing our current one */
-          port= 0;
-        }
+      if (!mysql->options.follow_instant_failovers)
+      {
+        /* Client has disabled instant failover. Fall through and treat this
+         * as a "normal" error. */
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        char *p= mysql->net.last_error; /* Should look like '|message|host[:port]' */
+        if (p && p[0] == '|')
+          p= strchr(p + 1, '|') ? : NULL;
+        if (p && *++p) {
+          host= p;
+          p= strchr(p, ':') ? : NULL;
+          if (p) {
+            *p++ = '\0';
+            port= atoi(p);
+          }
+          else
+          {
+            /* Restore to the default port, rather than reusing our current one */
+            port= 0;
+          }
         fprintf(stderr, "Got instant failover to '%s' (port %d)\n", host, port);
-        goto tcp_redirect;
+          goto tcp_redirect;
+        }
       }
     }
     goto error;
@@ -3521,6 +3531,9 @@ mysql_optionsv(MYSQL *mysql,enum mysql_option option, ...)
   case MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT:
     mysql->options.reconnect= *(my_bool *)arg1;
     break;
+  case MARIADB_OPT_FOLLOW_INSTANT_FAILOVERS:
+    mysql->options.follow_instant_failovers= *(my_bool *)arg1;
+    break;
   case MYSQL_OPT_PROTOCOL:
     mysql->options.protocol= *((uint *)arg1);
     break;