diff --git a/go/mysql/query_benchmark_test.go b/go/mysql/query_benchmark_test.go
index 173932ec00c..3031c8eebd6 100644
--- a/go/mysql/query_benchmark_test.go
+++ b/go/mysql/query_benchmark_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
 
+const benchmarkQueryPrefix = "benchmark "
+
 func benchmarkQuery(b *testing.B, threads int, query string) {
 	th := &testHandler{}
 
@@ -71,8 +73,9 @@ func benchmarkQuery(b *testing.B, threads int, query string) {
 			execQuery := query
 			if execQuery == "" {
 				// generate random query
-				n := rand.Intn(MaxPacketSize-2) + 1
-				execQuery = strings.Repeat("x", n)
+				n := rand.Intn(MaxPacketSize-len(benchmarkQueryPrefix)) + 1
+				execQuery = benchmarkQueryPrefix + strings.Repeat("x", n)
+
 			}
 			if _, err := conn.ExecuteFetch(execQuery, 1000, true); err != nil {
 				b.Fatalf("ExecuteFetch failed: %v", err)
@@ -87,11 +90,11 @@ func benchmarkQuery(b *testing.B, threads int, query string) {
 // executes M queries on them, then closes them.
 // It is meant as a somewhat real load test.
 func BenchmarkParallelShortQueries(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkQuery(b, 10, "select rows")
+	benchmarkQuery(b, 10, benchmarkQueryPrefix+"select rows")
 }
 
 func BenchmarkParallelMediumQueries(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkQuery(b, 10, "select"+strings.Repeat("x", connBufferSize))
+	benchmarkQuery(b, 10, benchmarkQueryPrefix+"select"+strings.Repeat("x", connBufferSize))
 }
 
 func BenchmarkParallelRandomQueries(b *testing.B) {
diff --git a/go/mysql/server_test.go b/go/mysql/server_test.go
index ee51eeeea2a..bdfd8bc390e 100644
--- a/go/mysql/server_test.go
+++ b/go/mysql/server_test.go
@@ -143,6 +143,22 @@ func (th *testHandler) ComQuery(c *Conn, query string, callback func(*sqltypes.R
 			},
 		})
 	default:
+		if strings.HasPrefix(query, benchmarkQueryPrefix) {
+			callback(&sqltypes.Result{
+				Fields: []*querypb.Field{
+					{
+						Name: "result",
+						Type: querypb.Type_VARCHAR,
+					},
+				},
+				Rows: [][]sqltypes.Value{
+					{
+						sqltypes.MakeTrusted(querypb.Type_VARCHAR, []byte(query)),
+					},
+				},
+			})
+		}
+
 		callback(&sqltypes.Result{})
 	}
 	return nil