diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 3c58a603efc..6499fa0cf82 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ if [ "$BUILD_TESTS" == 1 ] ; then
     echo "MYSQL_FLAVOR environment variable not set. Using default: $MYSQL_FLAVOR"
   fi
   case "$MYSQL_FLAVOR" in
-    "MySQL56")
+    "MySQL56" | "MySQL80")
       myversion="$("$VT_MYSQL_ROOT/bin/mysql" --version)"
       [[ "$myversion" =~ Distrib\ 5\.[67] || "$myversion" =~ Ver\ 8\. ]] || fail "Couldn't find MySQL 5.6+ in $VT_MYSQL_ROOT. Set VT_MYSQL_ROOT to override search location."
       echo "Found MySQL 5.6+ installation in $VT_MYSQL_ROOT."
diff --git a/config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf b/config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f81761ad906
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Options for enabling GTID
+# https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.6/en/replication-gtids-howto.html
+gtid_mode = ON
+log_bin
+log_slave_updates
+enforce_gtid_consistency
+
+# Crash-safe replication settings.
+master_info_repository = TABLE
+relay_log_info_repository = TABLE
+relay_log_purge = 1
+relay_log_recovery = 1
+
+# Native AIO tends to run into aio-max-nr limit during test startup.
+innodb_use_native_aio = 0
+
+# Semi-sync replication is required for automated unplanned failover
+# (when the master goes away). Here we just load the plugin so it's
+# available if desired, but it's disabled at startup.
+#
+# If the -enable_semi_sync flag is used, VTTablet will enable semi-sync
+# at the proper time when replication is set up, or when masters are
+# promoted or demoted.
+plugin-load = rpl_semi_sync_master=semisync_master.so;rpl_semi_sync_slave=semisync_slave.so
+
+# When semi-sync is enabled, don't allow fallback to async
+# if you get no ack, or have no slaves. This is necessary to
+# prevent alternate futures when doing a failover in response to
+# a master that becomes unresponsive.
+rpl_semi_sync_master_timeout = 1000000000000000000
+rpl_semi_sync_master_wait_no_slave = 1
+
+# disable mysqlx
+mysqlx = 0
+
+# 8.0 changes the default auth-plugin to caching_sha2_password
+default_authentication_plugin = mysql_native_password
+secure_file_priv = NULL
diff --git a/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.mysql80 b/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.mysql80
index c82ee741dec..c281de0d0ae 100644
--- a/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.mysql80
+++ b/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.mysql80
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ RUN for i in $(seq 1 10); do apt-key adv --no-tty --recv-keys --keyserver ha.poo
 WORKDIR /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 
 
-ENV MYSQL_FLAVOR MySQL56
+ENV MYSQL_FLAVOR MySQL80
 USER vitess
 RUN ./bootstrap.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go
index c491e67fef2..bfa973203a5 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/mysqld.go
@@ -653,6 +653,11 @@ func getMycnfTemplates(root string) []string {
 		if !contains(cnfTemplatePaths, path) {
 			cnfTemplatePaths = append(cnfTemplatePaths, path)
 		}
+	case "MySQL80":
+		path := path.Join(root, "config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf")
+		if !contains(cnfTemplatePaths, path) {
+			cnfTemplatePaths = append(cnfTemplatePaths, path)
+		}
 	default:
 		path := path.Join(root, "config/mycnf/master_mysql56.cnf")
 		// By default we assume Mysql56 compatable
diff --git a/go/vt/vttest/environment.go b/go/vt/vttest/environment.go
index 330ca80a759..970465b9cbd 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttest/environment.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttest/environment.go
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ func GetMySQLOptions(flavor string) (string, []string, error) {
 		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf")
 		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/master_mariadb.cnf")
 
+	case "MySQL80":
+		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf")
+		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf")
 	case "MySQL56":
 		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf")
 		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/master_mysql56.cnf")
diff --git a/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py b/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py
index 2e9e3f95ff3..02183d3da8f 100644
--- a/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py
+++ b/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ def my_cnf(self):
     ]
     return ":".join(files)
 
+class MySQL80(MysqlFlavor):
+  """Overrides specific to MySQL 8.0."""
+
+  def my_cnf(self):
+    files = [
+        os.path.join(vttop, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf"),
+        os.path.join(vttop, "config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf"),
+    ]
+    return ":".join(files)
 
 __mysql_flavor = None
 
@@ -100,6 +109,8 @@ def set_mysql_flavor(flavor):
     __mysql_flavor = MariaDB()
   elif flavor == "MariaDB103":
     __mysql_flavor = MariaDB103()
+  elif flavor == "MySQL80":
+    __mysql_flavor = MySQL80()
   elif flavor == "MySQL56":
     __mysql_flavor = MySQL56()
   else:
diff --git a/test/mysql_flavor.py b/test/mysql_flavor.py
index 56fb9495055..bc6d484395c 100644
--- a/test/mysql_flavor.py
+++ b/test/mysql_flavor.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def extra_my_cnf(self):
     return environment.vttop + "/config/mycnf/master_mariadb103.cnf"
 
 class MySQL56(MysqlFlavor):
-  """Overrides specific to MySQL 5.6."""
+  """Overrides specific to MySQL 5.6/5.7"""
 
   def master_position(self, tablet):
     gtid = tablet.mquery("", "SELECT @@GLOBAL.gtid_executed")[0][0]
@@ -165,6 +165,11 @@ def change_master_commands(self, host, port, pos):
         "MASTER_USER='vt_repl', MASTER_AUTO_POSITION = 1" %
         (host, port)]
 
+class MySQL80(MySQL56):
+  """Overrides specific to MySQL 8.0."""
+  def extra_my_cnf(self):
+    return environment.vttop + "/config/mycnf/master_mysql80.cnf"
+
 
 # Map of registered MysqlFlavor classes (keyed by an identifier).
 flavor_map = {}
@@ -238,3 +243,4 @@ def register_flavor(flavor, cls, env):
 register_flavor("MariaDB", MariaDB, "MariaDB")
 register_flavor("MariaDB103", MariaDB103, "MariaDB103")
 register_flavor("MySQL56", MySQL56, "MySQL56")
+register_flavor("MySQL80", MySQL80, "MySQL80")