diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract_mysql_adapter.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract_mysql_adapter.rb
index b12bac273783d68edbe8298e46b2c425460c1538..cc057146c78f376b541b4d5a44e2c8a8643e0316 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract_mysql_adapter.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract_mysql_adapter.rb
@@ -585,8 +585,7 @@ def type_to_sql(type, limit = nil, precision = nil, scale = nil, unsigned = nil)
 
       # SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'name'
       def show_variable(name)
-        variables = select_all("select @@#{name} as 'Value'", 'SCHEMA')
-        variables.first['Value'] unless variables.empty?
+        select_value("SELECT @@#{name}", 'SCHEMA')
       rescue ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid
         nil
       end