# How do I fix the mysqldump "Couldn't execute FLUSH TABLES Access denied" error?

An [update to the `mysqldump` package](https://github.com/mysql/mysql-server/commit/022e73ba6976b984658a1c2652178cd4b81aec28) fixed a bug with inconsistent backups with `--single-transaction`. Because the fix was rolled out in a minor version, automated backups pulled in the update and broke backups for some users.

## Update Backup User Permissions

Our recommended solution is to update the permissions of the backup user so you can continue using `--single-transaction`.

Log in to the MySQL console, then run the following command to list the users and their relevant permissions:

```mysql

SELECT User, HOST, Process_priv, Reload_priv FROM mysql.user;
```

Find your backup user, and make sure the host matches what you connect with. It should be `%` unless you restrict it to a single host.

Run the following command on the correct user:

```mysql

GRANT RELOAD, PROCESS ON . TO 'backups'@'%'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
```

To confirm the fix, run the command to list users again:

```mysql

SELECT User, HOST, Process_priv, Reload_priv FROM mysql.user;
```

Confirm that there is a `Y` in both columns.

## Alternative Solutions

As an alternative, you can remove the `--single-transaction` flag from your `mysqldump` command. We don’t recommend this option because it could cause your backups to be inconsistent, risking data loss and restoration issues.

You can also downgrade your version of `mysqldump`. We don’t recommend this option because downgrades lack bug fixes and future improvements.

However, if you are using Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), you need to use one of these alternative solutions because RDS doesn’t allow super permissions. [Learn more about fixing this error on RDS](https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/mysqldump-error-rds-mysql-mariadb).

## Related Topics

[Why does MySQL shut down when importing data with the source command?](https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/why-does-mysql-shut-down-when-importing-data-with-the-source-command/index.html.md): Use MySQL’s import command instead of source for handling large data imports.

[How do I fix the "1227" error?](https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/how-do-i-fix-the-1227-error/index.html.md): Remove or replace the DEFINER in the dump file.

[How do I fix the "Out of sort memory" error?](https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/how-do-i-fix-the-out-of-sort-memory-error/index.html.md): Adjust the sort\_buffer\_size value while assessing its impact on memory consumption and query performance.