diff --git a/examples/local/vstream_client.go b/examples/local/vstream_client.go
index ab00f83871d..44041744c74 100644
--- a/examples/local/vstream_client.go
+++ b/examples/local/vstream_client.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import (
 */
 func main() {
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	streamCustomer := true
+	streamCustomer := false
 	var vgtid *binlogdatapb.VGtid
 	if streamCustomer {
 		vgtid = &binlogdatapb.VGtid{
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go b/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go
index beb556f21f5..064fa060407 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/vstream_manager.go
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ const tabletPickerContextTimeout = 90 * time.Second
 // ending the stream from the tablet.
 const stopOnReshardDelay = 500 * time.Millisecond
 
+type globalTableName struct {
+	Keyspace string
+	Table    string
+}
+
 // vstream contains the metadata for one VStream request.
 type vstream struct {
 	// mu protects parts of vgtid, the semantics of a send, and journaler.
@@ -123,6 +128,9 @@ type vstream struct {
 	// the shard map tracking the copy completion, keyed by streamId. streamId is of the form <keyspace>.<shard>
 	copyCompletedShard map[string]struct{}
 
+	// A map of initial table schemas (CREATE TABLE) sent to the client if we're copying tables.
+	copySchemaSent map[globalTableName]struct{}
+
 	vsm *vstreamManager
 
 	eventCh           chan []*binlogdatapb.VEvent
@@ -595,6 +603,39 @@ func (vs *vstream) streamFromTablet(ctx context.Context, sgtid *binlogdatapb.Sha
 			}
 		}
 
+		if sgtid.Gtid == "" {
+			// We're copying the tables, so let's first send the table schemas in the
+			// stream so that the client can create the tables if they like and follow
+			// the full lifecycle of the tables.
+			if vs.copySchemaSent == nil {
+				vs.copySchemaSent = make(map[globalTableName]struct{}, 5)
+			}
+			ddlevents := make([]*binlogdatapb.VEvent, 0, 5)
+			if err := tabletConn.GetSchema(ctx, target, querypb.SchemaTableType_TABLES, nil, func(res *querypb.GetSchemaResponse) error {
+				for tableName, schema := range res.TableDefinition {
+					key := globalTableName{Keyspace: sgtid.Keyspace, Table: tableName}
+					func() {
+						vs.mu.Lock()
+						defer vs.mu.Unlock()
+						if _, ok := vs.copySchemaSent[key]; !ok {
+							ev := &binlogdatapb.VEvent{
+								Type:      binlogdatapb.VEventType_DDL,
+								Statement: schema,
+							}
+							ddlevents = append(ddlevents, ev)
+							vs.copySchemaSent[key] = struct{}{}
+						}
+					}()
+				}
+				return nil
+			}); err != nil {
+				return vterrors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get schema for keyspace %s", sgtid.Keyspace)
+			}
+			if err := vs.send(ddlevents); err != nil {
+				return vterrors.Wrapf(err, "failed to send schema DDL events for keyspace %s", sgtid.Keyspace)
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Safe to access sgtid.Gtid here (because it can't change until streaming begins).
 		req := &binlogdatapb.VStreamRequest{
 			Target:       target,