diff --git a/pt-online-schema-change b/pt-online-schema-change
index bbc5f15..ed11f1d 100755
--- a/pt-online-schema-change
+++ b/pt-online-schema-change
@@ -8827,6 +8827,20 @@ sub main {
    }
 
    if ( my $alter = $o->get('alter') ) {
+      my $new_sql_mode
+         = q{/*!40101 SET @OLD_SQL_MODE := @@SQL_MODE, }
+         . q{@@SQL_MODE := '', }
+         . q{@OLD_QUOTE := @@SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE, }
+         . q{@@SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE := 1 */};
+
+      my $old_sql_mode
+         = q{/*!40101 SET @@SQL_MODE := @OLD_SQL_MODE, }
+         . q{@@SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE := @OLD_QUOTE */};
+
+      PTDEBUG && _d($new_sql_mode);
+      eval { $cxn->dbh()->do($new_sql_mode); };
+      PTDEBUG && $EVAL_ERROR && _d($EVAL_ERROR);
+
       print "Altering new table...\n";
       my $sql = "ALTER TABLE $new_tbl->{name} $alter";
       print $sql, "\n" if $o->get('print');
@@ -8838,6 +8852,9 @@ sub main {
          die "Error altering new table $new_tbl->{name}: $EVAL_ERROR\n"
       }
       print "Altered $new_tbl->{name} OK.\n";
+
+      PTDEBUG && _d($old_sql_mode);
+      $cxn->dbh()->do($old_sql_mode);
    }
 
    # Get the new table struct.  This shouldn't die because
@@ -9861,6 +9878,20 @@ sub create_new_table {
    my $tryno = 1;
    my @old_tables;
    while ( $tryno++ <= $tries ) {
+      my $new_sql_mode
+         = q{/*!40101 SET @OLD_SQL_MODE := @@SQL_MODE, }
+         . q{@@SQL_MODE := '', }
+         . q{@OLD_QUOTE := @@SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE, }
+         . q{@@SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE := 1 */};
+
+      my $old_sql_mode
+         = q{/*!40101 SET @@SQL_MODE := @OLD_SQL_MODE, }
+         . q{@@SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE := @OLD_QUOTE */};
+
+      PTDEBUG && _d($new_sql_mode);
+      eval { $cxn->dbh()->do($new_sql_mode); };
+      PTDEBUG && $EVAL_ERROR && _d($EVAL_ERROR);
+
       if ( $new_table_prefix ) {
          $new_table_name = $new_table_prefix . $new_table_name;
       }
@@ -9915,6 +9946,10 @@ sub create_new_table {
       }
       print $sql, "\n" if $o->get('print');  # the sql that work
       print "Created new table $orig_tbl->{db}.$new_table_name OK.\n";
+
+      PTDEBUG && _d($old_sql_mode);
+      $cxn->dbh()->do($old_sql_mode);
+
       return { # success
          db   => $orig_tbl->{db},
          tbl  => $new_table_name,