diff --git a/pkg/controller/vitesscluster/reconcile_vtctld.go b/pkg/controller/vitesscluster/reconcile_vtctld.go
index 156a033f..3520544f 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/vitesscluster/reconcile_vtctld.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/vitesscluster/reconcile_vtctld.go
@@ -84,19 +84,19 @@ func (r *ReconcileVitessCluster) reconcileVtctld(ctx context.Context, vt *planet
 		Kind: &appsv1.Deployment{},
 
 		New: func(key client.ObjectKey) runtime.Object {
-			return vtctld.NewDeployment(key, specMap[key])
+			return vtctld.NewDeployment(key, specMap[key], vt.Spec.Images.Mysqld.Image())
 		},
 		UpdateInPlace: func(key client.ObjectKey, obj runtime.Object) {
 			newObj := obj.(*appsv1.Deployment)
 			if *vt.Spec.UpdateStrategy.Type == planetscalev2.ImmediateVitessClusterUpdateStrategyType {
-				vtctld.UpdateDeployment(newObj, specMap[key])
+				vtctld.UpdateDeployment(newObj, specMap[key], vt.Spec.Images.Mysqld.Image())
 				return
 			}
 			vtctld.UpdateDeploymentImmediate(newObj, specMap[key])
 		},
 		UpdateRollingInPlace: func(key client.ObjectKey, obj runtime.Object) {
 			newObj := obj.(*appsv1.Deployment)
-			vtctld.UpdateDeployment(newObj, specMap[key])
+			vtctld.UpdateDeployment(newObj, specMap[key], vt.Spec.Images.Mysqld.Image())
 		},
 		Status: func(key client.ObjectKey, obj runtime.Object) {
 			// This function will get called once for each Deployment.
diff --git a/pkg/operator/vtctld/deployment.go b/pkg/operator/vtctld/deployment.go
index 391673e2..5901cf3e 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/vtctld/deployment.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/vtctld/deployment.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/utils/pointer"
+	"planetscale.dev/vitess-operator/pkg/operator/mysql"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 
 	planetscalev2 "planetscale.dev/vitess-operator/pkg/apis/planetscale/v2"
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ type Spec struct {
 }
 
 // NewDeployment creates a new Deployment object for vtctld.
-func NewDeployment(key client.ObjectKey, spec *Spec) *appsv1.Deployment {
+func NewDeployment(key client.ObjectKey, spec *Spec, mysqldImage string) *appsv1.Deployment {
 	// Fill in the immutable parts.
 	obj := &appsv1.Deployment{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ func NewDeployment(key client.ObjectKey, spec *Spec) *appsv1.Deployment {
 		},
 	}
 	// Set everything else.
-	UpdateDeployment(obj, spec)
+	UpdateDeployment(obj, spec, mysqldImage)
 	return obj
 }
 
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ func UpdateDeploymentImmediate(obj *appsv1.Deployment, spec *Spec) {
 
 // UpdateDeployment updates the mutable parts of the vtctld Deployment
 // that should be changed as part of a gradual, rolling update.
-func UpdateDeployment(obj *appsv1.Deployment, spec *Spec) {
+func UpdateDeployment(obj *appsv1.Deployment, spec *Spec, mysqldImage string) {
 	UpdateDeploymentImmediate(obj, spec)
 
 	// Reset Pod template labels so we remove old ones.
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ func UpdateDeployment(obj *appsv1.Deployment, spec *Spec) {
 		key = strings.TrimLeft(key, "-")
 		flags[key] = value
 	}
+	mysql.UpdateMySQLServerVersion(flags, mysqldImage)
 
 	// Set only the Pod template fields we care about.
 	// Use functions from the `operator/update` package for lists