diff --git a/config/mycnf/default.cnf b/config/mycnf/default.cnf
index dec456f303c..8e3bac4f4c8 100644
--- a/config/mycnf/default.cnf
+++ b/config/mycnf/default.cnf
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ innodb_log_file_size = 64M
 innodb_log_files_in_group = 2
 innodb_log_group_home_dir = {{.InnodbLogGroupHomeDir}}
 innodb_max_dirty_pages_pct = 75
-innodb_support_xa = 0
 innodb_thread_concurrency = 20
 key_buffer_size = 32M
 log-error = {{.ErrorLogPath}}
@@ -56,20 +55,3 @@ thread_cache_size = 200
 tmpdir = {{.TmpDir}}
 tmp_table_size = 32M
 transaction-isolation = REPEATABLE-READ
-
-# Semi-sync replication is required for automated unplanned failover
-# (when the master goes away). Here we just load the plugin so it's
-# available if desired, but it's disabled at startup.
-#
-# If the -enable_semi_sync flag is used, VTTablet will enable semi-sync
-# at the proper time when replication is set up, or when masters are
-# promoted or demoted.
-plugin-load = rpl_semi_sync_master=semisync_master.so;rpl_semi_sync_slave=semisync_slave.so
-
-# When semi-sync is enabled, don't allow fallback to async
-# if you get no ack, or have no slaves. This is necessary to
-# prevent alternate futures when doing a failover in response to
-# a master that becomes unresponsive.
-rpl_semi_sync_master_timeout = 1000000000000000000
-rpl_semi_sync_master_wait_no_slave = 1
-
diff --git a/config/mycnf/master_mariadb.cnf b/config/mycnf/master_mariadb.cnf
index b76a7816a8a..83f6f318e4c 100644
--- a/config/mycnf/master_mariadb.cnf
+++ b/config/mycnf/master_mariadb.cnf
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
 # enable strict mode so it's safe to compare sequence numbers across different server IDs.
 gtid_strict_mode = 1
 innodb_stats_persistent = 0
+innodb_support_xa = 0
+
+# Semi-sync replication is required for automated unplanned failover
+# (when the master goes away). Here we just load the plugin so it's
+# available if desired, but it's disabled at startup.
+#
+# If the -enable_semi_sync flag is used, VTTablet will enable semi-sync
+# at the proper time when replication is set up, or when masters are
+# promoted or demoted.
+plugin-load = rpl_semi_sync_master=semisync_master.so;rpl_semi_sync_slave=semisync_slave.so
+
+# When semi-sync is enabled, don't allow fallback to async
+# if you get no ack, or have no slaves. This is necessary to
+# prevent alternate futures when doing a failover in response to
+# a master that becomes unresponsive.
+rpl_semi_sync_master_timeout = 1000000000000000000
+rpl_semi_sync_master_wait_no_slave = 1
diff --git a/config/mycnf/master_mariadb103.cnf b/config/mycnf/master_mariadb103.cnf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4dfb50ab18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/mycnf/master_mariadb103.cnf
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# enable strict mode so it's safe to compare sequence numbers across different server IDs.
+gtid_strict_mode = 1
+innodb_stats_persistent = 0
+
+# Semi-sync replication is required for automated unplanned failover
+# (when the master goes away). Here we just load the plugin so it's
+# available if desired, but it's disabled at startup.
+#
+# If the -enable_semi_sync flag is used, VTTablet will enable semi-sync
+# at the proper time when replication is set up, or when masters are
+# promoted or demoted.
+
+# semi_sync has been merged into master as of mariadb 10.3 so this is no longer needed 
+#plugin-load = rpl_semi_sync_master=semisync_master.so;rpl_semi_sync_slave=semisync_slave.so
+
+# When semi-sync is enabled, don't allow fallback to async
+# if you get no ack, or have no slaves. This is necessary to
+# prevent alternate futures when doing a failover in response to
+# a master that becomes unresponsive.
+rpl_semi_sync_master_timeout = 1000000000000000000
+rpl_semi_sync_master_wait_no_slave = 1
diff --git a/config/mycnf/master_mysql56.cnf b/config/mycnf/master_mysql56.cnf
index 2934975d751..2c802b2332a 100644
--- a/config/mycnf/master_mysql56.cnf
+++ b/config/mycnf/master_mysql56.cnf
@@ -13,3 +13,19 @@ relay_log_recovery = 1
 
 # Native AIO tends to run into aio-max-nr limit during test startup.
 innodb_use_native_aio = 0
+
+# Semi-sync replication is required for automated unplanned failover
+# (when the master goes away). Here we just load the plugin so it's
+# available if desired, but it's disabled at startup.
+#
+# If the -enable_semi_sync flag is used, VTTablet will enable semi-sync
+# at the proper time when replication is set up, or when masters are
+# promoted or demoted.
+plugin-load = rpl_semi_sync_master=semisync_master.so;rpl_semi_sync_slave=semisync_slave.so
+
+# When semi-sync is enabled, don't allow fallback to async
+# if you get no ack, or have no slaves. This is necessary to
+# prevent alternate futures when doing a failover in response to
+# a master that becomes unresponsive.
+rpl_semi_sync_master_timeout = 1000000000000000000
+rpl_semi_sync_master_wait_no_slave = 1
diff --git a/go/vt/vttest/environment.go b/go/vt/vttest/environment.go
index 05b3772b114..e2204714fcf 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttest/environment.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttest/environment.go
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ func GetMySQLOptions(flavor string) (string, []string, error) {
 
 	mycnf := []string{"config/mycnf/vtcombo.cnf"}
 	switch flavor {
+	case "MariaDB103":
+		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf")
+		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/master_mariadb103.cnf")
 	case "MariaDB":
 		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf")
 		mycnf = append(mycnf, "config/mycnf/master_mariadb.cnf")
diff --git a/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py b/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py
index e0e8969ea80..2e9e3f95ff3 100644
--- a/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py
+++ b/py/vttest/mysql_flavor.py
@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ def my_cnf(self):
     ]
     return ":".join(files)
 
+class MariaDB103(MysqlFlavor):
+  """Overrides specific to MariaDB 10.3"""
+
+  def my_cnf(self):
+    files = [
+      os.path.join(vttop, "config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf"),
+      os.path.join(vttop, "config/mycnf/master_mariadb103.cnf"),
+    ]
+    return ":".join(files)
 
 class MySQL56(MysqlFlavor):
   """Overrides specific to MySQL 5.6."""
@@ -89,6 +98,8 @@ def set_mysql_flavor(flavor):
 
   if flavor == "MariaDB":
     __mysql_flavor = MariaDB()
+  elif flavor == "MariaDB103":
+    __mysql_flavor = MariaDB103()
   elif flavor == "MySQL56":
     __mysql_flavor = MySQL56()
   else:
diff --git a/test/mysql_flavor.py b/test/mysql_flavor.py
index 33d13705c7d..dc14073a06e 100644
--- a/test/mysql_flavor.py
+++ b/test/mysql_flavor.py
@@ -230,4 +230,5 @@ def register_flavor(flavor, cls, env):
   flavor_map[flavor] = {"cls": cls, "env": env}
 
 register_flavor("MariaDB", MariaDB, "MariaDB")
+register_flavor("MariaDB103", MariaDB, "MariaDB103")
 register_flavor("MySQL56", MySQL56, "MySQL56")