diff --git a/go/mysql/client.go b/go/mysql/client.go
index b45da1922d6..3ef28912914 100644
--- a/go/mysql/client.go
+++ b/go/mysql/client.go
@@ -166,6 +166,28 @@ func Connect(ctx context.Context, params *ConnParams) (*Conn, error) {
 	return c, nil
 }
 
+// Ping implements mysql ping command.
+func (c *Conn) Ping() error {
+	// This is a new command, need to reset the sequence.
+	c.sequence = 0
+
+	if err := c.writePacket([]byte{ComPing}); err != nil {
+		return NewSQLError(CRServerGone, SSUnknownSQLState, "%v", err)
+	}
+	data, err := c.readEphemeralPacket()
+	if err != nil {
+		return NewSQLError(CRServerLost, SSUnknownSQLState, "%v", err)
+	}
+	defer c.recycleReadPacket()
+	switch data[0] {
+	case OKPacket:
+		return nil
+	case ErrPacket:
+		return ParseErrorPacket(data)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("unexpected packet type: %d", data[0])
+}
+
 // parseCharacterSet parses the provided character set.
 // Returns SQLError(CRCantReadCharset) if it can't.
 func parseCharacterSet(cs string) (uint8, error) {
diff --git a/go/mysql/constants.go b/go/mysql/constants.go
index afe203847be..dc961154734 100644
--- a/go/mysql/constants.go
+++ b/go/mysql/constants.go
@@ -440,6 +440,9 @@ const (
 	// SSHandshakeError is ER_HANDSHAKE_ERROR
 	SSHandshakeError = "08S01"
 
+	// SSServerShutdown is ER_SERVER_SHUTDOWN
+	SSServerShutdown = "08S01"
+
 	// SSDataTooLong is ER_DATA_TOO_LONG
 	SSDataTooLong = "22001"
 
diff --git a/go/mysql/server.go b/go/mysql/server.go
index 4a022707b7e..6c00b1656f5 100644
--- a/go/mysql/server.go
+++ b/go/mysql/server.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/netutil"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/sqltypes"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/stats"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/sync2"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/tb"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
 )
@@ -132,6 +133,9 @@ type Listener struct {
 	// connReadBufferSize is size of buffer for reads from underlying connection.
 	// Reads are unbuffered if it's <=0.
 	connReadBufferSize int
+
+	// shutdown indicates that Shutdown method was called.
+	shutdown sync2.AtomicBool
 }
 
 // NewFromListener creares a new mysql listener from an existing net.Listener
@@ -472,11 +476,18 @@ func (l *Listener) handle(conn net.Conn, connectionID uint32, acceptTime time.Ti
 			}
 
 		case ComPing:
-			// No payload to that one, just return OKPacket.
 			c.recycleReadPacket()
-			if err := c.writeOKPacket(0, 0, c.StatusFlags, 0); err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("Error writing ComPing result to %s: %v", c, err)
-				return
+			// Return error if listener was shut down and OK otherwise
+			if l.isShutdown() {
+				if err := c.writeErrorPacket(ERServerShutdown, SSServerShutdown, "Server shutdown in progress"); err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("Error writing ComPing error to %s: %v", c, err)
+					return
+				}
+			} else {
+				if err := c.writeOKPacket(0, 0, c.StatusFlags, 0); err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("Error writing ComPing result to %s: %v", c, err)
+					return
+				}
 			}
 		case ComSetOption:
 			if operation, ok := c.parseComSetOption(data); ok {
@@ -514,11 +525,23 @@ func (l *Listener) handle(conn net.Conn, connectionID uint32, acceptTime time.Ti
 	}
 }
 
-// Close stops the listener, and closes all connections.
+// Close stops the listener, which prevents accept of any new connections. Existing connections won't be closed.
 func (l *Listener) Close() {
 	l.listener.Close()
 }
 
+// Shutdown closes listener and fails any Ping requests from existing connections.
+// This can be used for graceful shutdown, to let clients know that they should reconnect to another server.
+func (l *Listener) Shutdown() {
+	if l.shutdown.CompareAndSwap(false, true) {
+		l.Close()
+	}
+}
+
+func (l *Listener) isShutdown() bool {
+	return l.shutdown.Get()
+}
+
 // writeHandshakeV10 writes the Initial Handshake Packet, server side.
 // It returns the salt data.
 func (c *Conn) writeHandshakeV10(serverVersion string, authServer AuthServer, enableTLS bool) ([]byte, error) {
diff --git a/go/mysql/server_test.go b/go/mysql/server_test.go
index 57004ce6926..ddf4c01b943 100644
--- a/go/mysql/server_test.go
+++ b/go/mysql/server_test.go
@@ -1087,3 +1087,60 @@ func binaryPath(root, binary string) (string, error) {
 	return "", fmt.Errorf("%s not found in any of %s/{%s}",
 		binary, root, strings.Join(subdirs, ","))
 }
+
+func TestListenerShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	th := &testHandler{}
+	authServer := NewAuthServerStatic()
+	authServer.Entries["user1"] = []*AuthServerStaticEntry{{
+		Password: "password1",
+		UserData: "userData1",
+	}}
+	l, err := NewListener("tcp", ":0", authServer, th, 0, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewListener failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer l.Close()
+	go l.Accept()
+
+	host, port := getHostPort(t, l.Addr())
+
+	// Setup the right parameters.
+	params := &ConnParams{
+		Host:  host,
+		Port:  port,
+		Uname: "user1",
+		Pass:  "password1",
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	conn, err := Connect(ctx, params)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Can't connect to listener: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := conn.Ping(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Ping failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	l.Shutdown()
+
+	if err := conn.Ping(); err != nil {
+		sqlErr, ok := err.(*SQLError)
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("Wrong error type: %T", err)
+		}
+		if sqlErr.Number() != ERServerShutdown {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected sql error code: %d", sqlErr.Number())
+		}
+		if sqlErr.SQLState() != SSServerShutdown {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected error sql state: %s", sqlErr.SQLState())
+		}
+		if sqlErr.Message != "Server shutdown in progress" {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected error message: %s", sqlErr.Message)
+		}
+	} else {
+		t.Fatalf("Ping should fail after shutdown")
+	}
+}