--- sql/handler.cc
+++ sql/handler.cc
@@ -1885,6 +1885,10 @@
       {
         return HA_ADMIN_NEEDS_ALTER;
       }
+      if ((*field)->type() == FIELD_TYPE_VAR_STRING)
+      {
+        return HA_ADMIN_NEEDS_ALTER;
+      }
     }
   }
   return 0;
--- client/mysqlcheck.c
+++ client/mysqlcheck.c
@@ -515,6 +515,87 @@
   return 0;
 } /* use_db */
 
+/*
+ * remove trailing spaces / zeroes from pre-5.0 varbinary fields
+ * actually, this doesn't belog here but into the server (REPAIR TABLE),
+ */
+static int repair_varbinary(char *table, uint length)
+{
+  MYSQL_RES *res;
+  MYSQL_ROW row;
+  char *query, message[100], *ptr;
+  uint query_length= 0, num_cols;
+
+  if (opt_all_in_1)
+  {
+    fputs("repair_varbinary doesn't work with --all-in-1\n", stderr);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  /* SHOW COLUMNS FROM `db`.`table` */
+  query_length= sizeof("SHOW COLUMNS FROM ````")-1 + length;
+  if (!(query =(char *) my_malloc(query_length+1, MYF(MY_WME))))
+    return 1;
+  ptr= strmov(query, "SHOW COLUMNS FROM ");
+  ptr= fix_table_name(ptr, table);
+  if (mysql_real_query(sock, query, query_length))
+  {
+    sprintf(message, "when executing '%s'", query);
+    DBerror(sock, message);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  my_free(query, MYF(0));
+
+  /* UPDATE `db`.`table` SET `col1`=TRIM(TRAILING '\0' FROM `col1`),
+   *                    `col1`=RTIM(`col1`),
+   *                    `col2`= ...
+   */
+  res= mysql_store_result(sock);
+
+  /* first compute query_length */
+  query_length= sizeof("UPDATE ```` SET ")-1 + length;
+  num_cols = 0;
+  while ((row= mysql_fetch_row(res)))
+  {
+    if (!strncmp(row[1], "varbinary(", sizeof("varbinary(")-1))
+    {
+      query_length += sizeof("``=TRIM(TRAILING '\\0' FROM ``), ``=RTRIM(``), ")
+	                - 1 + 4 * strlen(row[0]);
+      num_cols++;
+    }
+  }
+  if (!num_cols) {
+    /* nothing to do */
+    return 0;
+  }
+  query_length -= 2; /* no comma-space after last RTRIM */
+
+  /* then rewind and construct the query */
+  if (!(query= (char *) my_malloc(query_length+1, MYF(MY_WME))))
+    return 1;
+  mysql_data_seek(res, 0);
+  ptr= strmov(query, "UPDATE ");
+  ptr= fix_table_name(ptr, table);
+  ptr= strmov(ptr, " SET ");
+  while ((row= mysql_fetch_row(res)))
+  {
+    if (!strncmp(row[1], "varbinary(", sizeof("varbinary(")-1))
+    {
+      ptr= strxmov(ptr, "`", row[0], "`=TRIM(TRAILING '\\0' FROM `",
+                   row[0], "`), `", row[0], "`=RTRIM(`", row[0], "`)", NullS);
+      if (--num_cols)
+        ptr= strmov(ptr, ", ");
+    }
+  }
+  if (mysql_real_query(sock, query, query_length))
+  {
+    sprintf(message, "when executing '%s'", query);
+    DBerror(sock, message);
+    my_free(query, MYF(0));
+    return 1;
+  }
+  my_free(query, MYF(0));
+  return 0;
+}
 
 static int handle_request_for_tables(char *tables, uint length)
 {
@@ -573,6 +654,8 @@
   }
   print_result();
   my_free(query, MYF(0));
+  if (what_to_do == DO_REPAIR && repair_varbinary(tables, length) != 0)
+    return 1;
   return 0;
 }