diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_test_percona56.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_test_percona56.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 17bc8380c29..00000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_test_percona56.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,76 +0,0 @@
-# DO NOT MODIFY: THIS FILE IS GENERATED USING "make generate_ci_workflows"
-
-name: Unit Test (percona56)
-on: [push, pull_request]
-concurrency:
-  group: format('{0}-{1}', ${{ github.ref }}, 'Unit Test (percona56)')
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-jobs:
-  test:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
-
-    steps:
-    - name: Set up Go
-      uses: actions/setup-go@v2
-      with:
-        go-version: 1.17
-
-    - name: Tune the OS
-      run: |
-        echo '1024 65535' | sudo tee -a /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_local_port_range
-
-    # TEMPORARY WHILE GITHUB FIXES THIS https://github.com/actions/virtual-environments/issues/3185
-    - name: Add the current IP address, long hostname and short hostname record to /etc/hosts file
-      run: |
-        echo -e "$(ip addr show eth0 | grep "inet\b" | awk '{print $2}' | cut -d/ -f1)\t$(hostname -f) $(hostname -s)" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
-    # DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE CODE ABOVE WHEN ISSUE IS ADRESSED!
-
-    - name: Check out code
-      uses: actions/checkout@v2
-
-    - name: Get dependencies
-      run: |
-        export DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive"
-        sudo apt-get update
-
-        # !mysql57
-
-        # Uninstall any previously installed MySQL first
-        sudo systemctl stop apparmor
-        sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive" apt-get remove -y --purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common
-        sudo apt-get -y autoremove
-        sudo apt-get -y autoclean
-        sudo deluser mysql
-        sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql
-        sudo rm -rf /etc/mysql
-
-        # percona56
-        sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql
-        sudo apt install -y gnupg2
-        wget https://repo.percona.com/apt/percona-release_latest.$(lsb_release -sc)_all.deb
-        sudo dpkg -i percona-release_latest.$(lsb_release -sc)_all.deb
-        sudo apt update
-        sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive" apt-get install -y percona-server-server-5.6 percona-server-client-5.6
-
-        sudo apt-get install -y make unzip g++ curl git wget ant openjdk-8-jdk eatmydata
-        sudo service mysql stop
-        sudo bash -c "echo '/usr/sbin/mysqld { }' > /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld" # https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mariadb-10.1/+bug/1806263
-        sudo ln -s /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld /etc/apparmor.d/disable/
-        sudo apparmor_parser -R /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld || echo "could not remove mysqld profile"
-
-        mkdir -p dist bin
-        curl -L https://github.com/coreos/etcd/releases/download/v3.3.10/etcd-v3.3.10-linux-amd64.tar.gz | tar -zxC dist
-        mv dist/etcd-v3.3.10-linux-amd64/{etcd,etcdctl} bin/
-
-        go mod download
-        go install golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports@latest
-
-    - name: Run make tools
-      run: |
-        make tools
-
-    - name: Run test
-      timeout-minutes: 30
-      run: |
-        eatmydata -- make unit_test
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vreplication/vplayer_flaky_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vreplication/vplayer_flaky_test.go
index 6e809c6d852..73e9582b9a3 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vreplication/vplayer_flaky_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletmanager/vreplication/vplayer_flaky_test.go
@@ -2432,7 +2432,6 @@ func TestTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 func shouldRunJSONTests(t *testing.T, name string) bool {
 	skipTest := true
 	flavors := []string{"mysql80", "mysql57"}
-	//flavors = append(flavors, "mysql56") // uncomment for local testing, in CI it fails on percona56
 	for _, flavor := range flavors {
 		if strings.EqualFold(env.Flavor, flavor) {
 			skipTest = false
diff --git a/test/README.md b/test/README.md
index a1e0afe8782..f499f6f9e3e 100644
--- a/test/README.md
+++ b/test/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ This document has a short outline of how tests are run in CI, how to add new tes
 
 ### Adding a new test
 
-Unit tests are run by the unit test runner, one per platform, currently percona56, mysql57, mysql80, mariadb101, mariadb102, mariadb103.
+Unit tests are run by the unit test runner, one per platform, currently mysql57, mysql80, mariadb101, mariadb102, mariadb103.
 The workflow first installs the required database server before calling `make unit_test`.
 
 To add a new end-to-end (e2e) test (also called _cluster end to end_ tests):
@@ -41,4 +41,4 @@ which Test VM should run this test. All tests which have a common Shard value ar
 
 * Each VM does not seem to be able to create a lot of vttablets. For this reason we have had to split a few VReplication 
 e2e tests across Shards. We need to identify and if possible fix this limitation so that we can reduce the number of test Shards
-  
\ No newline at end of file
+  
diff --git a/test/ci_workflow_gen.go b/test/ci_workflow_gen.go
index b5bb26fcbe3..a9201206db8 100644
--- a/test/ci_workflow_gen.go
+++ b/test/ci_workflow_gen.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const (
 	workflowConfigDir = "../.github/workflows"
 
 	unitTestTemplate  = "templates/unit_test.tpl"
-	unitTestDatabases = "percona56, mysql80, mariadb102"
+	unitTestDatabases = "mysql80, mariadb102"
 
 	clusterTestTemplate = "templates/cluster_endtoend_test.tpl"
 
diff --git a/test/templates/unit_test.tpl b/test/templates/unit_test.tpl
index 19d905aef9c..8085d3677d0 100644
--- a/test/templates/unit_test.tpl
+++ b/test/templates/unit_test.tpl
@@ -50,18 +50,6 @@ jobs:
         sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql
         sudo rm -rf /etc/mysql
 
-        {{if (eq .Platform "percona56")}}
-
-        # percona56
-        sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql
-        sudo apt install -y gnupg2
-        wget https://repo.percona.com/apt/percona-release_latest.$(lsb_release -sc)_all.deb
-        sudo dpkg -i percona-release_latest.$(lsb_release -sc)_all.deb
-        sudo apt update
-        sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive" apt-get install -y percona-server-server-5.6 percona-server-client-5.6
-
-        {{end}}
-
         {{if (eq .Platform "mysql80")}}
 
         # mysql80