diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/cached_size.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/cached_size.go
index 9009b069f5a..c1ed1f9475c 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/cached_size.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/cached_size.go
@@ -1409,6 +1409,18 @@ func (cached *builtinPeriodAdd) CachedSize(alloc bool) int64 {
 	size += cached.CallExpr.CachedSize(false)
 	return size
 }
+func (cached *builtinPeriodDiff) CachedSize(alloc bool) int64 {
+	if cached == nil {
+		return int64(0)
+	}
+	size := int64(0)
+	if alloc {
+		size += int64(48)
+	}
+	// field CallExpr vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine.CallExpr
+	size += cached.CallExpr.CachedSize(false)
+	return size
+}
 func (cached *builtinPi) CachedSize(alloc bool) int64 {
 	if cached == nil {
 		return int64(0)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go
index 93781ed077b..dfb1a30bffc 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/compiler_asm.go
@@ -4319,6 +4319,26 @@ func (asm *assembler) Fn_PERIOD_ADD() {
 	}, "FN PERIOD_ADD INT64(SP-2) INT64(SP-1)")
 }
 
+func (asm *assembler) Fn_PERIOD_DIFF() {
+	asm.adjustStack(-1)
+	asm.emit(func(env *ExpressionEnv) int {
+		if env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-2] == nil {
+			env.vm.sp--
+			return 1
+		}
+		period1 := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-2].(*evalInt64).i
+		period2 := env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-1].(*evalInt64).i
+		res, err := periodDiff(period1, period2)
+		if err != nil {
+			env.vm.err = err
+			return 0
+		}
+		env.vm.stack[env.vm.sp-2] = res
+		env.vm.sp--
+		return 1
+	}, "FN PERIOD_DIFF INT64(SP-2) INT64(SP-1)")
+}
+
 func (asm *assembler) Interval(l int) {
 	asm.adjustStack(-l)
 	asm.emit(func(env *ExpressionEnv) int {
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_time.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_time.go
index 90fcda2c32a..2d5e12f518d 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_time.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/fn_time.go
@@ -181,6 +181,10 @@ type (
 		CallExpr
 	}
 
+	builtinPeriodDiff struct {
+		CallExpr
+	}
+
 	builtinDateMath struct {
 		CallExpr
 		sub     bool
@@ -222,6 +226,7 @@ var _ IR = (*builtinWeekOfYear)(nil)
 var _ IR = (*builtinYear)(nil)
 var _ IR = (*builtinYearWeek)(nil)
 var _ IR = (*builtinPeriodAdd)(nil)
+var _ IR = (*builtinPeriodDiff)(nil)
 
 func (call *builtinNow) eval(env *ExpressionEnv) (eval, error) {
 	now := env.time(call.utc)
@@ -2021,6 +2026,56 @@ func (call *builtinPeriodAdd) compile(c *compiler) (ctype, error) {
 	return ctype{Type: sqltypes.Int64, Flag: period.Flag | months.Flag | flagNullable}, nil
 }
 
+func periodDiff(period1, period2 int64) (*evalInt64, error) {
+	if !datetime.ValidatePeriod(period1) || !datetime.ValidatePeriod(period2) {
+		return nil, vterrors.NewErrorf(vtrpcpb.Code_INVALID_ARGUMENT, vterrors.WrongArguments, "Incorrect arguments to period_diff")
+	}
+	res := datetime.PeriodToMonths(period1) - datetime.PeriodToMonths(period2)
+	return newEvalInt64(res), nil
+}
+
+func (b *builtinPeriodDiff) eval(env *ExpressionEnv) (eval, error) {
+	p1, p2, err := b.arg2(env)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if p1 == nil || p2 == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	period1 := evalToInt64(p1)
+	period2 := evalToInt64(p2)
+	return periodDiff(period1.i, period2.i)
+}
+
+func (call *builtinPeriodDiff) compile(c *compiler) (ctype, error) {
+	period1, err := call.Arguments[0].compile(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ctype{}, err
+	}
+	period2, err := call.Arguments[1].compile(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ctype{}, err
+	}
+
+	skip := c.compileNullCheck2(period1, period2)
+
+	switch period1.Type {
+	case sqltypes.Int64:
+	default:
+		c.asm.Convert_xi(2)
+	}
+
+	switch period2.Type {
+	case sqltypes.Int64:
+	default:
+		c.asm.Convert_xi(1)
+	}
+
+	c.asm.Fn_PERIOD_DIFF()
+	c.asm.jumpDestination(skip)
+	return ctype{Type: sqltypes.Int64, Flag: period1.Flag | period2.Flag | flagNullable}, nil
+}
+
 func evalToInterval(itv eval, unit datetime.IntervalType, negate bool) *datetime.Interval {
 	switch itv := itv.(type) {
 	case *evalBytes:
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/testcases/cases.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/testcases/cases.go
index 7d5305b21f7..ed1c5ed1f76 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/testcases/cases.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/testcases/cases.go
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ var Cases = []TestCase{
 	{Run: FnYear},
 	{Run: FnYearWeek},
 	{Run: FnPeriodAdd},
+	{Run: FnPeriodDiff},
 	{Run: FnInetAton},
 	{Run: FnInetNtoa},
 	{Run: FnInet6Aton},
@@ -2245,6 +2246,27 @@ func FnPeriodAdd(yield Query) {
 	}
 }
 
+func FnPeriodDiff(yield Query) {
+	for _, p1 := range inputBitwise {
+		for _, p2 := range inputBitwise {
+			yield(fmt.Sprintf("PERIOD_DIFF(%s, %s)", p1, p2), nil)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, p1 := range inputPeriods {
+		for _, p2 := range inputPeriods {
+			yield(fmt.Sprintf("PERIOD_DIFF(%s, %s)", p1, p2), nil)
+		}
+	}
+
+	mysqlDocSamples := []string{
+		`PERIOD_DIFF(200802,200703)`,
+	}
+
+	for _, q := range mysqlDocSamples {
+		yield(q, nil)
+	}
+}
+
 func FnInetAton(yield Query) {
 	for _, d := range ipInputs {
 		yield(fmt.Sprintf("INET_ATON(%s)", d), nil)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/translate_builtin.go b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/translate_builtin.go
index 2c4d887ff19..476ee32483b 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/translate_builtin.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/evalengine/translate_builtin.go
@@ -535,6 +535,13 @@ func (ast *astCompiler) translateFuncExpr(fn *sqlparser.FuncExpr) (IR, error) {
 		default:
 			return nil, argError(method)
 		}
+	case "period_diff":
+		switch len(args) {
+		case 2:
+			return &builtinPeriodDiff{CallExpr: call}, nil
+		default:
+			return nil, argError(method)
+		}
 	case "inet_aton":
 		if len(args) != 1 {
 			return nil, argError(method)