diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert.go b/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert.go
index d1d4a5763a3..a1babe74f13 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert.go
@@ -273,6 +273,22 @@ func (ins *Insert) execInsertSharded(vcursor VCursor, bindVars map[string]*query
 	return result, nil
 }
 
+// shouldGenerate determines if a sequence value should be generated for a given value
+func shouldGenerate(v sqltypes.Value) bool {
+	if v.IsNull() {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// Unless the NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO sql mode is active in mysql, it also
+	// treats 0 as a value that should generate a new sequence.
+	n, err := evalengine.ToUint64(v)
+	if err == nil && n == 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 // processGenerate generates new values using a sequence if necessary.
 // If no value was generated, it returns 0. Values are generated only
 // for cases where none are supplied.
@@ -289,7 +305,7 @@ func (ins *Insert) processGenerate(vcursor VCursor, bindVars map[string]*querypb
 	}
 	count := int64(0)
 	for _, val := range resolved {
-		if val.IsNull() {
+		if shouldGenerate(val) {
 			count++
 		}
 	}
@@ -319,7 +335,7 @@ func (ins *Insert) processGenerate(vcursor VCursor, bindVars map[string]*querypb
 	// Fill the holes where no value was supplied.
 	cur := insertID
 	for i, v := range resolved {
-		if v.IsNull() {
+		if shouldGenerate(v) {
 			bindVars[SeqVarName+strconv.Itoa(i)] = sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(cur)
 			cur++
 		} else {
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert_test.go
index 5923247d0b3..ec59c2a70a1 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/engine/insert_test.go
@@ -117,6 +117,61 @@ func TestInsertUnshardedGenerate(t *testing.T) {
 	expectResult(t, "Execute", result, &sqltypes.Result{InsertID: 4})
 }
 
+func TestInsertUnshardedGenerate_Zeros(t *testing.T) {
+	ins := NewQueryInsert(
+		InsertUnsharded,
+		&vindexes.Keyspace{
+			Name:    "ks",
+			Sharded: false,
+		},
+		"dummy_insert",
+	)
+	ins.Generate = &Generate{
+		Keyspace: &vindexes.Keyspace{
+			Name:    "ks2",
+			Sharded: false,
+		},
+		Query: "dummy_generate",
+		Values: sqltypes.PlanValue{
+			Values: []sqltypes.PlanValue{
+				{Value: sqltypes.NewInt64(1)},
+				{Value: sqltypes.NewInt64(0)},
+				{Value: sqltypes.NewInt64(2)},
+				{Value: sqltypes.NewInt64(0)},
+				{Value: sqltypes.NewInt64(3)},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	vc := newDMLTestVCursor("0")
+	vc.results = []*sqltypes.Result{
+		sqltypes.MakeTestResult(
+			sqltypes.MakeTestFields(
+				"nextval",
+				"int64",
+			),
+			"4",
+		),
+		{InsertID: 1},
+	}
+
+	result, err := ins.Execute(vc, map[string]*querypb.BindVariable{}, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	vc.ExpectLog(t, []string{
+		// Fetch two sequence value.
+		`ResolveDestinations ks2 [] Destinations:DestinationAnyShard()`,
+		`ExecuteStandalone dummy_generate n: type:INT64 value:"2"  ks2 0`,
+		// Fill those values into the insert.
+		`ResolveDestinations ks [] Destinations:DestinationAllShards()`,
+		`ExecuteMultiShard ks.0: dummy_insert {__seq0: type:INT64 value:"1" __seq1: type:INT64 value:"4" __seq2: type:INT64 value:"2" __seq3: type:INT64 value:"5" __seq4: type:INT64 value:"3" } true true`,
+	})
+
+	// The insert id returned by ExecuteMultiShard should be overwritten by processGenerate.
+	expectResult(t, "Execute", result, &sqltypes.Result{InsertID: 4})
+}
+
 func TestInsertShardedSimple(t *testing.T) {
 	invschema := &vschemapb.SrvVSchema{
 		Keyspaces: map[string]*vschemapb.Keyspace{