diff --git a/pkg/operator/mysql/mysql.go b/pkg/operator/mysql/mysql.go
index 1928d5ba..4a4ca1f9 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -23,12 +23,21 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	"planetscale.dev/vitess-operator/pkg/operator/vitess"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/sqlparser"
 )
 
 var imageVersionRegExp = regexp.MustCompile(`^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)`)
 
-func DockerImageGetVersionToString(currentVersionImage string) (string, error) {
+func UpdateMySQLServerVersion(flags vitess.Flags, mysqldImage string) {
+	value, err := dockerImageGetVersionToString(mysqldImage)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	flags["mysql_server_version"] = value
+}
+
+func dockerImageGetVersionToString(currentVersionImage string) (string, error) {
 	currentVersionSlice := strings.SplitN(currentVersionImage, ":", 2)
 	if len(currentVersionSlice) != 2 {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("could not parse the image name and image label, got: %s, but expected xx:xx", currentVersionImage)
diff --git a/pkg/operator/vtgate/deployment.go b/pkg/operator/vtgate/deployment.go
index 8bdf1ae9..a2882881 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/vtgate/deployment.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/vtgate/deployment.go
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func UpdateDeployment(obj *appsv1.Deployment, spec *Spec, mysqldImage string) {
 	flags := spec.baseFlags()
 
 	// Update the Pod template, container, and flags for various optional things.
-	updateMySQLServerVersion(flags, mysqldImage)
+	mysql.UpdateMySQLServerVersion(flags, mysqldImage)
 	updateAuth(spec, flags, vtgateContainer, &obj.Spec.Template.Spec)
 	updateTransport(spec, flags, vtgateContainer, &obj.Spec.Template.Spec)
 	update.Volumes(&obj.Spec.Template.Spec.Volumes, spec.ExtraVolumes)
@@ -288,14 +288,6 @@ func (spec *Spec) baseFlags() vitess.Flags {
 	}
 }
 
-func updateMySQLServerVersion(flags vitess.Flags, mysqldImage string) {
-	value, err := mysql.DockerImageGetVersionToString(mysqldImage)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	flags["mysql_server_version"] = value
-}
-
 func updateAuth(spec *Spec, flags vitess.Flags, container *corev1.Container, podSpec *corev1.PodSpec) {
 	if spec.Authentication.Static != nil && spec.Authentication.Static.Secret != nil {
 		staticAuthFile := secrets.Mount(spec.Authentication.Static.Secret, staticAuthDirName)
diff --git a/pkg/operator/vttablet/pod.go b/pkg/operator/vttablet/pod.go
index 392ea282..5e8bdfbe 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/vttablet/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/vttablet/pod.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ 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"
 	topodatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/topodata"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/topo/topoproto"
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ func UpdatePod(obj *corev1.Pod, spec *Spec) {
 		key = strings.TrimLeft(key, "-")
 		vttabletAllFlags[key] = value
 	}
+	mysql.UpdateMySQLServerVersion(vttabletAllFlags, spec.Images.Mysqld.Image())
 
 	// Compute all operator-generated env vars first.
 	env := tabletEnvVars.Get(spec)