diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go
index c14b2bc4256..9da78be84d7 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ func TestExecutorShowColumns(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestExecutorShow(t *testing.T) {
 	executor, _, _, sbclookup := createLegacyExecutorEnv()
-	session := NewSafeSession(&vtgatepb.Session{TargetString: "@master"})
+	session := NewSafeSession(&vtgatepb.Session{TargetString: "TestExecutor"})
 
 	for _, query := range []string{"show vitess_keyspaces", "show keyspaces"} {
 		qr, err := executor.Execute(ctx, "TestExecute", session, query, nil)
@@ -459,6 +459,8 @@ func TestExecutorShow(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = executor.Execute(ctx, "TestExecute", session, "show collation where `Charset` = 'utf8' and `Collation` = 'utf8_bin'", nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	_, err = executor.Execute(ctx, "TestExecute", session, "use @master", nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	_, err = executor.Execute(ctx, "TestExecute", session, "show tables", nil)
 	assert.EqualError(t, err, "keyspace not specified", "'show tables' should fail without a keyspace")
 	assert.Empty(t, sbclookup.Queries, "sbclookup unexpectedly has queries already")
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/show.go b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/show.go
index 2aacc6b47aa..31b36d7e588 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/show.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/show.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func buildCharsetPlan(show *sqlparser.ShowBasic) (engine.Primitive, error) {
 }
 
 func buildSendAnywherePlan(show *sqlparser.ShowBasic, vschema ContextVSchema) (engine.Primitive, error) {
-	ks, err := vschema.FirstSortedKeyspace()
+	ks, err := vschema.AnyKeyspace()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases.txt b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases.txt
index 9776864ead2..8316f4c7560 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases.txt
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases.txt
@@ -214,7 +214,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-
 # show variables
 "show variables"
 {
@@ -233,7 +232,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-
 # show databases
 "show databases"
 {
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases_no_default_keyspace.txt b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases_no_default_keyspace.txt
index 7e5971147a5..737b6ed6bb2 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases_no_default_keyspace.txt
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/show_cases_no_default_keyspace.txt
@@ -33,3 +33,21 @@
     "SingleShardOnly": true
   }
 }
+
+# show variables
+"show variables"
+{
+  "QueryType": "SHOW",
+  "Original": "show variables",
+  "Instructions": {
+    "OperatorType": "Send",
+    "Keyspace": {
+      "Name": "main",
+      "Sharded": false
+    },
+    "TargetDestination": "AnyShard()",
+    "IsDML": false,
+    "Query": "show variables",
+    "SingleShardOnly": true
+  }
+}