diff --git a/bin/pt-upgrade b/bin/pt-upgrade
index b1cb2986..00070224 100755
--- a/bin/pt-upgrade
+++ b/bin/pt-upgrade
@@ -10990,6 +10990,32 @@ sub main {
       $host->{name}  = $name || 'unknown host';
    }
 
+   # ########################################################################
+   # If we're comparing rows, check that LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE works for,
+   # all hosts, or bail out early if it doesn't.
+   # ########################################################################
+   my $compare = $o->get('compare');
+   if ( $compare->{results}
+         && lc($o->get('compare-results-method')) eq 'rows' )
+   {
+      foreach my $host ( @$hosts ) {
+         local $@;
+         my $sql = "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/dev/null' INTO TABLE "
+                 . "`test`.`pt_not_there`";
+         eval { $host->{dbh}->do($sql); 1 } or do {
+            my $e = $@;
+            my $error_re = qr/\QDBD::mysql::db do failed: The used command is not allowed with this MySQL version [for Statement "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE/;
+            if ($e =~ $error_re) {
+               $_->{dbh}->disconnect() for @$hosts;
+               die("Cannot compare rows as LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE "
+                 . "is disabled for $host->{name}. See "
+                 . "http://kb.percona.com/troubleshoot-load-data-infile"
+               );
+            }
+         };
+      }
+   }
+   
    # ########################################################################
    # Make some common modules.
    # ########################################################################
@@ -11023,7 +11049,6 @@ sub main {
    # ########################################################################
    # Make compare modules in order.
    # ########################################################################
-   my $compare = $o->get('compare');
    my @compare_modules;
    if ( $compare->{results} ) {
       my $method  = lc $o->get('compare-results-method');
diff --git a/t/pt-archiver/bulk_insert.t b/t/pt-archiver/bulk_insert.t
index ad95e36d..8ad8380a 100644
--- a/t/pt-archiver/bulk_insert.t
+++ b/t/pt-archiver/bulk_insert.t
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ sub test_disabled_load_data {
 
    like($output,
       qr!\Q--bulk-insert cannot work as LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE is disabled. See http://kb.percona.com/troubleshoot-load-data-infile!,
-      ""
+      "--bulk-insert throws an error if LOCAL INFILE is disabled"
    );
 }
 
diff --git a/t/pt-upgrade/basics.t b/t/pt-upgrade/basics.t
index 064f7b81..702be9a4 100644
--- a/t/pt-upgrade/basics.t
+++ b/t/pt-upgrade/basics.t
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ else {
    plan tests => 13;
 }
 
+my $load_data_is_disabled = PerconaTest::load_data_is_disabled($dbh1);
+
 my @host_args = ('h=127.1,P=12345', 'P=12348');
 my @op_args   = (qw(-u msandbox -p msandbox),
                  '--compare', 'results,warnings',
@@ -64,23 +66,27 @@ ok(
    'Report for multiple queries (checksum method)'
 );
 
-ok(
-   no_diff(
-      sub { pt_upgrade::main(@args, "$trunk/$sample/001/select-one.log",
-         "--compare-results-method", "rows") },
-      "$sample/001/select-one-rows.txt"
-   ),
-   'Report for a single query (rows method)'
-);
+SKIP: {
+   skip "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE is disabled", 2 if $load_data_is_disabled;
+   
+   ok(
+      no_diff(
+         sub { pt_upgrade::main(@args, "$trunk/$sample/001/select-one.log",
+            "--compare-results-method", "rows") },
+         "$sample/001/select-one-rows.txt"
+      ),
+      'Report for a single query (rows method)'
+   );
 
-ok(
-   no_diff(
-      sub { pt_upgrade::main(@args, "$trunk/$sample/001/select-everyone.log",
-         "--compare-results-method", "rows") },
-      "$sample/001/select-everyone-rows.txt"
-   ),
-   'Report for multiple queries (rows method)'
-);
+   ok(
+      no_diff(
+         sub { pt_upgrade::main(@args, "$trunk/$sample/001/select-everyone.log",
+            "--compare-results-method", "rows") },
+         "$sample/001/select-everyone-rows.txt"
+      ),
+      'Report for multiple queries (rows method)'
+   );
+}
 
 ok(
    no_diff(
@@ -107,76 +113,84 @@ $sb->wipe_clean($dbh2);
 # Issue 951: mk-upgrade "I need a db argument" error with
 # compare-results-method=rows
 # #############################################################################
-$sb->load_file('master',  "$sample/002/tables.sql");
-$sb->load_file('master1', "$sample/002/tables.sql");
+SKIP: {
+   skip "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE is disabled", 4 if $load_data_is_disabled;
+   $sb->load_file('master',  "$sample/002/tables.sql");
+   $sb->load_file('master1', "$sample/002/tables.sql");
 
-# Make a difference on one host so diff_rows() is called.
-$dbh1->do('insert into test.t values (5)');
+   # Make a difference on one host so diff_rows() is called.
+   $dbh1->do('insert into test.t values (5)');
 
-ok(
-   no_diff(
-      sub { pt_upgrade::main(@op_args, "$log/002/no-db.log",
-         'h=127.1,P=12345,D=test', 'P=12348,D=test',
-         qw(--compare-results-method rows --temp-database test)) },
-      "$sample/002/report-01.txt",
-   ),
-   'No db, compare results row, DSN D, --temp-database (issue 951)'
-);
+   ok(
+      no_diff(
+         sub { pt_upgrade::main(@op_args, "$log/002/no-db.log",
+            'h=127.1,P=12345,D=test', 'P=12348,D=test',
+            qw(--compare-results-method rows --temp-database test)) },
+         "$sample/002/report-01.txt",
+      ),
+      'No db, compare results row, DSN D, --temp-database (issue 951)'
+   );
 
-$sb->load_file('master',  "$sample/002/tables.sql");
-$sb->load_file('master1', "$sample/002/tables.sql");
-$dbh1->do('insert into test.t values (5)');
+   $sb->load_file('master',  "$sample/002/tables.sql");
+   $sb->load_file('master1', "$sample/002/tables.sql");
+   $dbh1->do('insert into test.t values (5)');
 
-ok(
-   no_diff(
-      sub { pt_upgrade::main(@op_args, "$log/002/no-db.log",
-         'h=127.1,P=12345,D=test', 'P=12348,D=test',
-         qw(--compare-results-method rows --temp-database tmp_db)) },
-      "$sample/002/report-01.txt",
-   ),
-   'No db, compare results row, DSN D'
-);
+   ok(
+      no_diff(
+         sub { pt_upgrade::main(@op_args, "$log/002/no-db.log",
+            'h=127.1,P=12345,D=test', 'P=12348,D=test',
+            qw(--compare-results-method rows --temp-database tmp_db)) },
+         "$sample/002/report-01.txt",
+      ),
+      'No db, compare results row, DSN D'
+   );
 
-is_deeply(
-   $dbh1->selectall_arrayref('show tables from `test`'),
-   [['t']],
-   "Didn't create temp table in event's db"
-);
+   is_deeply(
+      $dbh1->selectall_arrayref('show tables from `test`'),
+      [['t']],
+      "Didn't create temp table in event's db"
+   );
 
-is_deeply(
-   $dbh1->selectall_arrayref('show tables from `tmp_db`'),
-   [['mk_upgrade_left']],
-   "Createed temp table in --temp-database"
-);
+   is_deeply(
+      $dbh1->selectall_arrayref('show tables from `tmp_db`'),
+      [['mk_upgrade_left']],
+      "Createed temp table in --temp-database"
+   );
+   
+   $sb->wipe_clean($dbh1);
+   $sb->wipe_clean($dbh2);
 
-$sb->wipe_clean($dbh1);
-$sb->wipe_clean($dbh2);
+}
 
 # #############################################################################
 # Bug 926598: DBD::mysql bug causes pt-upgrade to use wrong 
 # precision (M) and scale (D) 
 # #############################################################################
-$sb->load_file('master',  "$sample/003/tables.sql");
-$sb->load_file('master1', "$sample/003/tables.sql");
+SKIP: {
+   skip "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE is disabled", 2 if $load_data_is_disabled;
 
-# Make a difference on one host so diff_rows() is called.
-$dbh1->do('insert into test.t values (4, 1.00)');
+   $sb->load_file('master',  "$sample/003/tables.sql");
+   $sb->load_file('master1', "$sample/003/tables.sql");
 
-ok(
-   no_diff(
-      sub { pt_upgrade::main(@args, "$log/003/double.log",
-         qw(--compare-results-method rows)) },
-      "$sample/003/report001.txt",
-   ),
-   'M, D diff (bug 926598)',
-);
+   # Make a difference on one host so diff_rows() is called.
+   $dbh1->do('insert into test.t values (4, 1.00)');
 
-my $row = $dbh1->selectrow_arrayref("show create table test.mk_upgrade_left");
-like(
-   $row->[1],
-   qr/[`"]SUM\(total\)[`"]\s+double\sDEFAULT/i,
-   "No M,D in table def (bug 926598)"
-);
+   ok(
+      no_diff(
+         sub { pt_upgrade::main(@args, "$log/003/double.log",
+            qw(--compare-results-method rows)) },
+         "$sample/003/report001.txt",
+      ),
+      'M, D diff (bug 926598)',
+   );
+
+   my $row = $dbh1->selectrow_arrayref("show create table test.mk_upgrade_left");
+   like(
+      $row->[1],
+      qr/[`"]SUM\(total\)[`"]\s+double\sDEFAULT/i,
+      "No M,D in table def (bug 926598)"
+   );
+}
 
 # #############################################################################
 # Done.
diff --git a/t/pt-upgrade/warnings.t b/t/pt-upgrade/warnings.t
index a89454f5..fce82d2b 100644
--- a/t/pt-upgrade/warnings.t
+++ b/t/pt-upgrade/warnings.t
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ if ( !$dbh1 ) {
 elsif ( !$dbh2 ) {
    plan skip_all => 'Cannot connect to second sandbox master';
 }
+elsif ( PerconaTest::load_data_is_disabled($dbh1) ) {
+   plan skip_all => 'LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE is disabled';
+}
 else {
    plan tests => 6;
 }