diff --git a/go/mysql/sql_error.go b/go/mysql/sql_error.go
index e3c8ff6594b..fcf02abaf13 100644
--- a/go/mysql/sql_error.go
+++ b/go/mysql/sql_error.go
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ var stateToMysqlCode = map[vterrors.State]struct {
 	vterrors.DbCreateExists:               {num: ERDbCreateExists, state: SSUnknownSQLState},
 	vterrors.DbDropExists:                 {num: ERDbDropExists, state: SSUnknownSQLState},
 	vterrors.EmptyQuery:                   {num: EREmptyQuery, state: SSClientError},
+	vterrors.IncorrectGlobalLocalVar:      {num: ERIncorrectGlobalLocalVar, state: SSUnknownSQLState},
 	vterrors.InnodbReadOnly:               {num: ERInnodbReadOnly, state: SSUnknownSQLState},
 	vterrors.LockOrActiveTransaction:      {num: ERLockOrActiveTransaction, state: SSUnknownSQLState},
 	vterrors.NoDB:                         {num: ERNoDb, state: SSNoDB},
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/reservedconn/sysvar_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/reservedconn/sysvar_test.go
index 3201fdd7521..69531781085 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/reservedconn/sysvar_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/reservedconn/sysvar_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/mysql"
@@ -373,3 +374,24 @@ func TestSystemVariableType(t *testing.T) {
 	checkedExec(t, conn, "set autocommit = true")
 	assertResponseMatch(t, conn, query1, query2)
 }
+
+func TestSysvarSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	vtParams := mysql.ConnParams{
+		Host: "localhost",
+		Port: clusterInstance.VtgateMySQLPort,
+	}
+	conn, err := mysql.Connect(context.Background(), &vtParams)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	qr := checkedExec(t, conn, "select @@socket")
+	assert.Contains(t, fmt.Sprintf("%v", qr.Rows), "mysql.sock")
+
+	_, err = exec(t, conn, "set socket = '/any/path'")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	sqlErr, ok := err.(*mysql.SQLError)
+	require.True(t, ok, "not a mysql error: %T", err)
+	assert.Equal(t, mysql.ERIncorrectGlobalLocalVar, sqlErr.Number())
+	assert.Equal(t, mysql.SSUnknownSQLState, sqlErr.SQLState())
+	assert.Equal(t, "Variable 'socket' is a read only variable (errno 1238) (sqlstate HY000) during query: set socket = '/any/path'", sqlErr.Error())
+}
diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting.go
index 6b075f731ab..08838508031 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting.go
@@ -246,18 +246,19 @@ func (er *expressionRewriter) sysVarRewrite(cursor *Cursor, node *ColName) {
 	switch lowered {
 	case sysvars.Autocommit.Name,
 		sysvars.ClientFoundRows.Name,
-		sysvars.SkipQueryPlanCache.Name,
-		sysvars.SQLSelectLimit.Name,
-		sysvars.TransactionMode.Name,
-		sysvars.Workload.Name,
 		sysvars.DDLStrategy.Name,
-		sysvars.SessionUUID.Name,
-		sysvars.SessionEnableSystemSettings.Name,
+		sysvars.TransactionMode.Name,
 		sysvars.ReadAfterWriteGTID.Name,
 		sysvars.ReadAfterWriteTimeOut.Name,
+		sysvars.SessionEnableSystemSettings.Name,
+		sysvars.SessionTrackGTIDs.Name,
+		sysvars.SessionUUID.Name,
+		sysvars.SkipQueryPlanCache.Name,
+		sysvars.Socket.Name,
+		sysvars.SQLSelectLimit.Name,
 		sysvars.Version.Name,
 		sysvars.VersionComment.Name,
-		sysvars.SessionTrackGTIDs.Name:
+		sysvars.Workload.Name:
 		cursor.Replace(bindVarExpression("__vt" + lowered))
 		er.bindVars.AddSysVar(lowered)
 	}
diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting_test.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting_test.go
index 721e7ccdb44..c2368d81514 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/ast_rewriting_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type myTestCase struct {
 	liid, db, foundRows, rowCount, rawGTID, rawTimeout, sessTrackGTID  bool
 	ddlStrategy, sessionUUID, sessionEnableSystemSettings              bool
 	udv                                                                int
-	autocommit, clientFoundRows, skipQueryPlanCache                    bool
+	autocommit, clientFoundRows, skipQueryPlanCache, socket            bool
 	sqlSelectLimit, transactionMode, workload, version, versionComment bool
 }
 
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ func TestRewrites(in *testing.T) {
 		in:       "SELECT @@workload",
 		expected: "SELECT :__vtworkload as `@@workload`",
 		workload: true,
+	}, {
+		in:       "SELECT @@socket",
+		expected: "SELECT :__vtsocket as `@@socket`",
+		socket:   true,
 	}, {
 		in:       "select (select 42) from dual",
 		expected: "select 42 as `(select 42 from dual)` from dual",
@@ -198,6 +202,7 @@ func TestRewrites(in *testing.T) {
 		rawGTID:                     true,
 		rawTimeout:                  true,
 		sessTrackGTID:               true,
+		socket:                      true,
 	}, {
 		in:                          "SHOW GLOBAL VARIABLES",
 		expected:                    "SHOW GLOBAL VARIABLES",
@@ -215,6 +220,7 @@ func TestRewrites(in *testing.T) {
 		rawGTID:                     true,
 		rawTimeout:                  true,
 		sessTrackGTID:               true,
+		socket:                      true,
 	}}
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {
@@ -251,6 +257,7 @@ func TestRewrites(in *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equal(tc.sessTrackGTID, result.NeedsSysVar(sysvars.SessionTrackGTIDs.Name), "should need sessTrackGTID")
 			assert.Equal(tc.version, result.NeedsSysVar(sysvars.Version.Name), "should need Vitess version")
 			assert.Equal(tc.versionComment, result.NeedsSysVar(sysvars.VersionComment.Name), "should need Vitess version")
+			assert.Equal(tc.socket, result.NeedsSysVar(sysvars.Socket.Name), "should need :__vtsocket")
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/sysvars/sysvars.go b/go/vt/sysvars/sysvars.go
index 40cb7818cf3..13d3b5159cc 100644
--- a/go/vt/sysvars/sysvars.go
+++ b/go/vt/sysvars/sysvars.go
@@ -44,17 +44,19 @@ var (
 	utf8 = "'utf8'"
 
 	Autocommit                  = SystemVariable{Name: "autocommit", IsBoolean: true, Default: on}
+	Charset                     = SystemVariable{Name: "charset", Default: utf8, IdentifierAsString: true}
 	ClientFoundRows             = SystemVariable{Name: "client_found_rows", IsBoolean: true, Default: off}
+	SessionEnableSystemSettings = SystemVariable{Name: "enable_system_settings", IsBoolean: true, Default: on}
+	Names                       = SystemVariable{Name: "names", Default: utf8, IdentifierAsString: true}
+	SessionUUID                 = SystemVariable{Name: "session_uuid", IdentifierAsString: true}
 	SkipQueryPlanCache          = SystemVariable{Name: "skip_query_plan_cache", IsBoolean: true, Default: off}
-	TxReadOnly                  = SystemVariable{Name: "tx_read_only", IsBoolean: true, Default: off}
-	TransactionReadOnly         = SystemVariable{Name: "transaction_read_only", IsBoolean: true, Default: off}
+	Socket                      = SystemVariable{Name: "socket", Default: off}
 	SQLSelectLimit              = SystemVariable{Name: "sql_select_limit", Default: off}
 	TransactionMode             = SystemVariable{Name: "transaction_mode", IdentifierAsString: true}
+	TransactionReadOnly         = SystemVariable{Name: "transaction_read_only", IsBoolean: true, Default: off}
+	TxReadOnly                  = SystemVariable{Name: "tx_read_only", IsBoolean: true, Default: off}
 	Workload                    = SystemVariable{Name: "workload", IdentifierAsString: true}
-	Charset                     = SystemVariable{Name: "charset", Default: utf8, IdentifierAsString: true}
-	Names                       = SystemVariable{Name: "names", Default: utf8, IdentifierAsString: true}
-	SessionUUID                 = SystemVariable{Name: "session_uuid", IdentifierAsString: true}
-	SessionEnableSystemSettings = SystemVariable{Name: "enable_system_settings", IsBoolean: true, Default: on}
+
 	// Online DDL
 	DDLStrategy    = SystemVariable{Name: "ddl_strategy", IdentifierAsString: true}
 	Version        = SystemVariable{Name: "version"}
@@ -84,6 +86,12 @@ var (
 		SessionTrackGTIDs,
 	}
 
+	ReadOnly = []SystemVariable{
+		Socket,
+		Version,
+		VersionComment,
+	}
+
 	IgnoreThese = []SystemVariable{
 		{Name: "big_tables", IsBoolean: true},
 		{Name: "bulk_insert_buffer_size"},
@@ -249,5 +257,6 @@ func GetInterestingVariables() []string {
 	// Also add version and version comment
 	res = append(res, Version.Name)
 	res = append(res, VersionComment.Name)
+	res = append(res, Socket.Name)
 	return res
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/vterrors/state.go b/go/vt/vterrors/state.go
index 7be707e3508..b3103cd851d 100644
--- a/go/vt/vterrors/state.go
+++ b/go/vt/vterrors/state.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const (
 	DataOutOfRange
 	EmptyQuery
 	ForbidSchemaChange
+	IncorrectGlobalLocalVar
 	NonUniqTable
 	SyntaxError
 	WrongGroupField
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go b/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go
index e61995aa6e3..b7fc158fb47 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go
@@ -322,6 +322,8 @@ func (e *Executor) addNeededBindVars(bindVarNeeds *sqlparser.BindVarNeeds, bindV
 			bindVars[key] = sqltypes.StringBindVariable(servenv.AppVersion.MySQLVersion())
 		case sysvars.VersionComment.Name:
 			bindVars[key] = sqltypes.StringBindVariable(servenv.AppVersion.String())
+		case sysvars.Socket.Name:
+			bindVars[key] = sqltypes.StringBindVariable(mysqlSocketPath())
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_select_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_select_test.go
index 928abd01532..09bf6ee8ff2 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_select_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_select_test.go
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func TestSelectSystemVariables(t *testing.T) {
 
 	sql := "select @@autocommit, @@client_found_rows, @@skip_query_plan_cache, @@enable_system_settings, " +
 		"@@sql_select_limit, @@transaction_mode, @@workload, @@read_after_write_gtid, " +
-		"@@read_after_write_timeout, @@session_track_gtids, @@ddl_strategy"
+		"@@read_after_write_timeout, @@session_track_gtids, @@ddl_strategy, @@socket"
 
 	result, err := executorExec(executor, sql, map[string]*querypb.BindVariable{})
 	wantResult := &sqltypes.Result{
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ func TestSelectSystemVariables(t *testing.T) {
 			{Name: "@@read_after_write_timeout", Type: sqltypes.Float64},
 			{Name: "@@session_track_gtids", Type: sqltypes.VarBinary},
 			{Name: "@@ddl_strategy", Type: sqltypes.VarBinary},
+			{Name: "@@socket", Type: sqltypes.VarBinary},
 		},
 		Rows: [][]sqltypes.Value{{
 			// the following are the uninitialised session values
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@ func TestSelectSystemVariables(t *testing.T) {
 			sqltypes.NewFloat64(13),
 			sqltypes.NewVarBinary("own_gtid"),
 			sqltypes.NewVarBinary(""),
+			sqltypes.NewVarBinary(""),
 		}},
 	}
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_set_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_set_test.go
index 5f18d34eb1b..aa177d77cde 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_set_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_set_test.go
@@ -246,6 +246,9 @@ func TestExecutorSet(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		in:  "set @@enable_system_settings = false",
 		out: &vtgatepb.Session{Autocommit: true, EnableSystemSettings: false},
+	}, {
+		in:  "set @@socket = '/tmp/change.sock'",
+		err: "Variable 'socket' is a read only variable",
 	}}
 	for i, tcase := range testcases {
 		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d-%s", i, tcase.in), func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/set.go b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/set.go
index 267199eae59..d34e9397abb 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/set.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/set.go
@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ func buildSetPlan(stmt *sqlparser.Set, vschema ContextVSchema) (engine.Primitive
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func buildSetOpReadOnly(s setting) planFunc {
+	return func(expr *sqlparser.SetExpr, schema ContextVSchema, _ *expressionConverter) (engine.SetOp, error) {
+		return nil, vterrors.NewErrorf(vtrpcpb.Code_INVALID_ARGUMENT, vterrors.IncorrectGlobalLocalVar, "Variable '%s' is a read only variable", expr.Name)
+	}
+}
+
 func buildNotSupported(setting) planFunc {
 	return func(expr *sqlparser.SetExpr, schema ContextVSchema, _ *expressionConverter) (engine.SetOp, error) {
 		return nil, vterrors.Errorf(vtrpcpb.Code_INVALID_ARGUMENT, "%s: system setting is not supported", expr.Name)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/system_variables.go b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/system_variables.go
index ce02cb497ff..d6e9cbeaa14 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/system_variables.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/system_variables.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
+	forSettings(sysvars.ReadOnly, buildSetOpReadOnly)
 	forSettings(sysvars.IgnoreThese, buildSetOpIgnore)
 	forSettings(sysvars.UseReservedConn, buildSetOpReservedConn)
 	forSettings(sysvars.CheckAndIgnore, buildSetOpCheckAndIgnore)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/set_cases.txt b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/set_cases.txt
index 1a00e120319..fd4b95a5ba8 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/set_cases.txt
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/planbuilder/testdata/set_cases.txt
@@ -522,3 +522,8 @@ Gen4 plan same as above
   }
 }
 Gen4 plan same as above
+
+# change read only variable
+"set socket = ''"
+"Variable 'socket' is a read only variable"
+Gen4 plan same as above
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go b/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go
index 212f3ba4261..42fcd9b1266 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/plugin_mysql_server.go
@@ -540,6 +540,13 @@ func rollbackAtShutdown() {
 	log.Errorf("All connections did not go idle. Shutting down anyway.")
 }
 
+func mysqlSocketPath() string {
+	if mysqlServerSocketPath == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return *mysqlServerSocketPath
+}
+
 func init() {
 	servenv.OnRun(initMySQLProtocol)
 	servenv.OnTermSync(shutdownMysqlProtocolAndDrain)