diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go
index 29ad659249d..5097d54dbd6 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go
@@ -2986,61 +2986,7 @@ func (asm *assembler) Like_collate(expr *LikeExpr, collation colldata.Collation)
 	}, "LIKE VARCHAR(SP-2), VARCHAR(SP-1) COLLATE '%s'", collation.Name())
 }
 
-func (asm *assembler) Locate_coerce3(coercion *compiledCoercion) {
-	asm.adjustStack(-2)
-
-	asm.emit(func(env *ExpressionEnv) int {
-		substr := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-3].(*evalBytes)
-		str := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-2].(*evalBytes)
-		pos := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-1].(*evalInt64)
-		env.vm.sp -= 2
-
-		if pos.i < 1 {
-			env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-1] = env.vm.arena.newEvalInt64(0)
-			return 1
-		}
-
-		var bsub, bstr []byte
-		bsub, env.vm.err = coercion.left(nil, substr.bytes)
-		if env.vm.err != nil {
-			return 0
-		}
-		bstr, env.vm.err = coercion.right(nil, str.bytes)
-		if env.vm.err != nil {
-			return 0
-		}
-
-		found := colldata.Index(coercion.col, bstr, bsub, int(pos.i)-1)
-		env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-1] = env.vm.arena.newEvalInt64(int64(found) + 1)
-		return 1
-	}, "LOCATE VARCHAR(SP-3), VARCHAR(SP-2) INT64(SP-1) COERCE AND COLLATE '%s'", coercion.col.Name())
-}
-
-func (asm *assembler) Locate_coerce2(coercion *compiledCoercion) {
-	asm.adjustStack(-1)
-
-	asm.emit(func(env *ExpressionEnv) int {
-		substr := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-2].(*evalBytes)
-		str := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-1].(*evalBytes)
-		env.vm.sp--
-
-		var bsub, bstr []byte
-		bsub, env.vm.err = coercion.left(nil, substr.bytes)
-		if env.vm.err != nil {
-			return 0
-		}
-		bstr, env.vm.err = coercion.right(nil, str.bytes)
-		if env.vm.err != nil {
-			return 0
-		}
-
-		found := colldata.Index(coercion.col, bstr, bsub, 0)
-		env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-1] = env.vm.arena.newEvalInt64(int64(found) + 1)
-		return 1
-	}, "LOCATE VARCHAR(SP-2), VARCHAR(SP-1) COERCE AND COLLATE '%s'", coercion.col.Name())
-}
-
-func (asm *assembler) Locate_collate3(collation colldata.Collation) {
+func (asm *assembler) Locate3(collation colldata.Collation) {
 	asm.adjustStack(-2)
 
 	asm.emit(func(env *ExpressionEnv) int {
@@ -3060,7 +3006,7 @@ func (asm *assembler) Locate_collate3(collation colldata.Collation) {
 	}, "LOCATE VARCHAR(SP-3), VARCHAR(SP-2) INT64(SP-1) COLLATE '%s'", collation.Name())
 }
 
-func (asm *assembler) Locate_collate2(collation colldata.Collation) {
+func (asm *assembler) Locate2(collation colldata.Collation) {
 	asm.adjustStack(-1)
 
 	asm.emit(func(env *ExpressionEnv) int {
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_string.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_string.go
index eee8258cefc..e65800c9824 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_string.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_string.go
@@ -1281,6 +1281,19 @@ func (call *builtinLocate) eval(env *ExpressionEnv) (eval, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if _, ok := str.(*evalBytes); !ok {
+		str, err = evalToVarchar(str, call.collate, true)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	col := str.(*evalBytes).col.Collation
+	substr, err = evalToVarchar(substr, col, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	pos := int64(1)
 	if len(call.Arguments) > 2 {
 		p, err := call.Arguments[2].eval(env)
@@ -1293,15 +1306,9 @@ func (call *builtinLocate) eval(env *ExpressionEnv) (eval, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	var col collations.TypedCollation
-	substr, str, col, err = mergeAndCoerceCollations(substr, str, env.collationEnv)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	var coll colldata.Collation
 	if typeIsTextual(substr.SQLType()) && typeIsTextual(str.SQLType()) {
-		coll = colldata.Lookup(col.Collation)
+		coll = colldata.Lookup(col)
 	} else {
 		coll = colldata.Lookup(collations.CollationBinaryID)
 	}
@@ -1331,73 +1338,37 @@ func (call *builtinLocate) compile(c *compiler) (ctype, error) {
 		_ = c.compileToInt64(l, 1)
 	}
 
-	if !substr.isTextual() {
-		c.asm.Convert_xc(len(call.Arguments), sqltypes.VarChar, c.collation, 0, false)
-		substr.Col = collations.TypedCollation{
+	if !str.isTextual() {
+		c.asm.Convert_xce(len(call.Arguments)-1, sqltypes.VarChar, c.collation)
+		str.Col = collations.TypedCollation{
 			Collation:    c.collation,
 			Coercibility: collations.CoerceCoercible,
 			Repertoire:   collations.RepertoireASCII,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !str.isTextual() {
-		c.asm.Convert_xc(len(call.Arguments)-1, sqltypes.VarChar, c.collation, 0, false)
-		str.Col = collations.TypedCollation{
-			Collation:    c.collation,
+	fromCharset := colldata.Lookup(substr.Col.Collation).Charset()
+	toCharset := colldata.Lookup(str.Col.Collation).Charset()
+	if !substr.isTextual() || (fromCharset != toCharset && !toCharset.IsSuperset(fromCharset)) {
+		c.asm.Convert_xce(len(call.Arguments), sqltypes.VarChar, str.Col.Collation)
+		substr.Col = collations.TypedCollation{
+			Collation:    str.Col.Collation,
 			Coercibility: collations.CoerceCoercible,
 			Repertoire:   collations.RepertoireASCII,
 		}
 	}
 
-	var merged collations.TypedCollation
-	var coerceLeft colldata.Coercion
-	var coerceRight colldata.Coercion
-
-	if substr.Col.Collation != str.Col.Collation {
-		merged, coerceLeft, coerceRight, err = colldata.Merge(c.env.CollationEnv(), substr.Col, str.Col, colldata.CoercionOptions{
-			ConvertToSuperset:   true,
-			ConvertWithCoercion: true,
-		})
-	} else {
-		merged = substr.Col
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return ctype{}, err
-	}
-
 	var coll colldata.Collation
 	if typeIsTextual(substr.Type) && typeIsTextual(str.Type) {
-		coll = colldata.Lookup(merged.Collation)
+		coll = colldata.Lookup(str.Col.Collation)
 	} else {
 		coll = colldata.Lookup(collations.CollationBinaryID)
 	}
 
-	if coerceLeft == nil && coerceRight == nil {
-		if len(call.Arguments) > 2 {
-			c.asm.Locate_collate3(coll)
-		} else {
-			c.asm.Locate_collate2(coll)
-		}
+	if len(call.Arguments) > 2 {
+		c.asm.Locate3(coll)
 	} else {
-		if coerceLeft == nil {
-			coerceLeft = func(dst, in []byte) ([]byte, error) { return in, nil }
-		}
-		if coerceRight == nil {
-			coerceRight = func(dst, in []byte) ([]byte, error) { return in, nil }
-		}
-		if len(call.Arguments) > 2 {
-			c.asm.Locate_coerce3(&compiledCoercion{
-				col:   colldata.Lookup(merged.Collation),
-				left:  coerceLeft,
-				right: coerceRight,
-			})
-		} else {
-			c.asm.Locate_coerce2(&compiledCoercion{
-				col:   colldata.Lookup(merged.Collation),
-				left:  coerceLeft,
-				right: coerceRight,
-			})
-		}
+		c.asm.Locate2(coll)
 	}
 
 	c.asm.jumpDestination(skip1, skip2)