diff --git a/sql/mysqld.cc b/sql/mysqld.cc
--- a/sql/mysqld.cc
+++ b/sql/mysqld.cc
@@ -202,6 +202,14 @@ typedef fp_except fp_except_t;
 #define fcntl(X,Y,Z) 0
 #endif
 
+#ifndef EMBEDDED_LIBRARY
+#define ALT_CHROOT
+#endif
+
+#ifdef ALT_CHROOT
+#include <time.h>                              // For tzset(3)
+#endif
+
 inline void setup_fpu()
 {
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__) && defined(HAVE_IEEEFP_H) && !defined(HAVE_FEDISABLEEXCEPT)
@@ -2228,12 +2236,24 @@ static void set_effective_user(struct passwd *user_info_arg)
 static void set_root(const char *path)
 {
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
+#ifdef ALT_CHROOT
+  tzset();
+#endif
+
   if (chroot(path) == -1)
   {
     sql_perror("chroot");
     unireg_abort(1);
   }
+#ifndef ALT_CHROOT
   my_setwd("/", MYF(0));
+#else
+  if (chdir("/") == -1)
+  {
+   sql_perror("chdir");
+   unireg_abort(1);
+  }
+#endif
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -5674,6 +5694,10 @@ int mysqld_main(int argc, char **argv)
   /*
     We have enough space for fiddling with the argv, continue
   */
+#ifdef ALT_CHROOT
+  init_ssl();
+  network_init();
+#endif
   check_data_home(mysql_real_data_home);
   if (my_setwd(mysql_real_data_home, opt_abort ? 0 : MYF(MY_WME)) && !opt_abort)
     unireg_abort(1);				/* purecov: inspected */
@@ -5681,7 +5705,11 @@ int mysqld_main(int argc, char **argv)
   /* Atomic write initialization must be done as root */
   my_init_atomic_write();
 
+#ifndef ALT_CHROOT
   if ((user_info= check_user(mysqld_user)))
+#else
+  if (user_info)
+#endif
   {
 #if defined(HAVE_MLOCKALL) && defined(MCL_CURRENT)
     if (locked_in_memory) // getuid() == 0 here
@@ -5707,8 +5735,10 @@ int mysqld_main(int argc, char **argv)
   if (init_server_components())
     unireg_abort(1);
 
+#ifndef ALT_CHROOT
   init_ssl();
   network_init();
+#endif
 
 #ifdef WITH_WSREP
   // Recover and exit.
@@ -8577,6 +8607,12 @@ static int get_options(int *argc_ptr, char ***argv_ptr)
   /* Set global MyISAM variables from delay_key_write_options */
   fix_delay_key_write(0, 0, OPT_GLOBAL);
 
+#ifdef ALT_CHROOT
+  if (fix_paths())
+    return 1;
+  user_info = check_user(mysqld_user);
+#endif
+
 #ifndef EMBEDDED_LIBRARY
   if (mysqld_chroot)
     set_root(mysqld_chroot);
@@ -8585,8 +8621,10 @@ static int get_options(int *argc_ptr, char ***argv_ptr)
   max_allowed_packet= global_system_variables.max_allowed_packet;
   net_buffer_length= global_system_variables.net_buffer_length;
 #endif
+#ifndef ALT_CHROOT
   if (fix_paths())
     return 1;
+#endif
 
   /*
     Set some global variables from the global_system_variables