diff --git a/include/maria.h b/include/maria.h
index 7fdf95f7ac4..0fe5d76598f 100644
--- a/include/maria.h
+++ b/include/maria.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ typedef struct st_maria_create_info
   ulong s3_block_size;
   /* Size of null bitmap at start of row */
   uint null_bytes;
-  uint old_options;
+  uint old_options, rec_reflength;
   uint compression_algorithm;
   enum data_file_type org_data_file_type;
   uint16 language;
diff --git a/include/myisam.h b/include/myisam.h
index 9d4e0ecab46..1136ace39a1 100644
--- a/include/myisam.h
+++ b/include/myisam.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ typedef struct st_mi_create_info
   ulonglong auto_increment;
   ulonglong data_file_length;
   ulonglong key_file_length;
-  uint old_options;
+  uint old_options, rec_reflength;
   uint16 language;
   my_bool with_auto_increment;
 } MI_CREATE_INFO;
diff --git a/sql/handler.cc b/sql/handler.cc
index f16feb5935b..0c7a6a829e5 100644
--- a/sql/handler.cc
+++ b/sql/handler.cc
@@ -6321,7 +6321,8 @@ int handler::calculate_checksum()
 ****************************************************************************/
 
 static int ha_create_table_from_share(THD *thd, TABLE_SHARE *share,
-                                      HA_CREATE_INFO *create_info)
+                                      HA_CREATE_INFO *create_info,
+                                      uint *ref_length)
 {
   TABLE table;
 
@@ -6342,6 +6343,7 @@ static int ha_create_table_from_share(THD *thd, TABLE_SHARE *share,
                share->table_name.str, error);
     table.file->print_error(error, MYF(ME_WARNING));
   }
+  *ref_length= table.file->ref_length; // for hlindexes
 
   (void) closefrm(&table);
   return error;
@@ -6368,6 +6370,7 @@ int ha_create_table(THD *thd, const char *path, const char *db,
                     LEX_CUSTRING *frm, bool skip_frm_file)
 {
   int error= 1;
+  uint ref_length;
   TABLE_SHARE share;
   Abort_on_warning_instant_set old_abort_on_warning(thd, 0);
   bool is_tmp __attribute__((unused)) =
@@ -6398,7 +6401,7 @@ int ha_create_table(THD *thd, const char *path, const char *db,
   }
 
   share.m_psi= PSI_CALL_get_table_share(is_tmp, &share);
-  if ((error= ha_create_table_from_share(thd, &share, create_info)))
+  if ((error= ha_create_table_from_share(thd, &share, create_info, &ref_length)))
   {
     PSI_CALL_drop_table_share(is_tmp, share.db.str, (uint)share.db.length,
                         share.table_name.str, (uint)share.table_name.length);
@@ -6424,11 +6427,14 @@ int ha_create_table(THD *thd, const char *path, const char *db,
       my_snprintf(path_end, HLINDEX_BUF_LEN, HLINDEX_TEMPLATE, i);
       init_tmp_table_share(thd, &index_share, db, 0, table_name, file_name, 1);
       index_share.db_plugin= share.db_plugin;
+      LEX_CSTRING sql= mhnsw_hlindex_table_def(thd, ref_length);
       if ((error= index_share.init_from_sql_statement_string(thd, false,
-                        mhnsw_hlindex_table.str, mhnsw_hlindex_table.length)))
+                        sql.str, sql.length)))
         break;
 
-      if ((error= ha_create_table_from_share(thd, &index_share, &index_cinfo)))
+      uint unused;
+      if ((error= ha_create_table_from_share(thd, &index_share, &index_cinfo,
+                                             &unused)))
         break;
     }
     free_table_share(&index_share);
diff --git a/sql/sql_base.cc b/sql/sql_base.cc
index 56b611fc816..c53e93d4a85 100644
--- a/sql/sql_base.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_base.cc
@@ -9860,8 +9860,9 @@ int TABLE::hlindex_open(uint nr)
                            path, false);
       share->db_plugin= s->db_plugin;
 
+      LEX_CSTRING sql= mhnsw_hlindex_table_def(in_use, file->ref_length);
       if (share->init_from_sql_statement_string(in_use, false,
-                        mhnsw_hlindex_table.str, mhnsw_hlindex_table.length))
+                        sql.str, sql.length))
       {
         free_table_share(share);
         return 1;
diff --git a/sql/vector_mhnsw.cc b/sql/vector_mhnsw.cc
index 168b6e7ca7e..f5a30f31ab1 100644
--- a/sql/vector_mhnsw.cc
+++ b/sql/vector_mhnsw.cc
@@ -21,15 +21,6 @@
 #include "key.h"
 #include <scope.h>
 
-const LEX_CSTRING mhnsw_hlindex_table={STRING_WITH_LEN("\
-  CREATE TABLE i (                                      \
-    layer int not null,                                 \
-    src varbinary(255) not null,                        \
-    neighbors blob not null,                            \
-    index (layer, src))                                 \
-")};
-
-
 class MHNSW_Context;
 
 class FVector: public Sql_alloc
@@ -614,3 +605,17 @@ int mhnsw_read_next(TABLE *table)
   }
   return HA_ERR_END_OF_FILE;
 }
+
+const LEX_CSTRING mhnsw_hlindex_table_def(THD *thd, uint ref_length)
+{
+  const char templ[]="CREATE TABLE i (                   "
+                     "  layer int not null,              "
+                     "  src varbinary(%u) not null,      "
+                     "  neighbors varbinary(%u) not null,"
+                     "  index (layer, src))              ";
+  size_t len= sizeof(templ) + 32;
+  char *s= thd->alloc(len);
+  len= my_snprintf(s, len, templ, ref_length, 2 * ref_length *
+                   thd->variables.hnsw_max_connection_per_layer);
+  return {s, len};
+}
diff --git a/sql/vector_mhnsw.h b/sql/vector_mhnsw.h
index 141512244b7..267303dc578 100644
--- a/sql/vector_mhnsw.h
+++ b/sql/vector_mhnsw.h
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@
 #include "structs.h"
 #include "table.h"
 
-extern const LEX_CSTRING mhnsw_hlindex_table;
-
+const LEX_CSTRING mhnsw_hlindex_table_def(THD *thd, uint ref_length);
 int mhnsw_insert(TABLE *table, KEY *keyinfo);
 int mhnsw_read_first(TABLE *table, KEY *keyinfo, Item *dist, ulonglong limit);
 int mhnsw_read_next(TABLE *table);
diff --git a/storage/maria/ha_maria.cc b/storage/maria/ha_maria.cc
index c85f1450b0b..5412d15ed47 100644
--- a/storage/maria/ha_maria.cc
+++ b/storage/maria/ha_maria.cc
@@ -3411,6 +3411,7 @@ int ha_maria::create(const char *name, TABLE *table_arg,
                  &create_info, create_flags);
 
   my_free(recinfo);
+  ref_length= create_info.rec_reflength;
   DBUG_RETURN(error);
 }
 
diff --git a/storage/maria/ma_create.c b/storage/maria/ma_create.c
index 16406934b99..8ff1abd09a0 100644
--- a/storage/maria/ma_create.c
+++ b/storage/maria/ma_create.c
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ int maria_create(const char *name, enum data_file_type datafile_type,
   share.state.sortkey=  (ushort) ~0;
   share.state.auto_increment=ci->auto_increment;
   share.options=options;
-  share.base.rec_reflength=pointer;
+  share.base.rec_reflength= ci->rec_reflength= pointer;
   share.base.block_size= maria_block_size;
   share.base.language= (ci->language ? ci->language :
                         default_charset_info->number);
diff --git a/storage/myisam/ha_myisam.cc b/storage/myisam/ha_myisam.cc
index 98d729cc9be..5ff7643ba22 100644
--- a/storage/myisam/ha_myisam.cc
+++ b/storage/myisam/ha_myisam.cc
@@ -2304,6 +2304,7 @@ int ha_myisam::create(const char *name, TABLE *table_arg,
                    record_count, recinfo,
                    0, (MI_UNIQUEDEF*) 0,
                    &create_info, create_flags);
+  ref_length= create_info.rec_reflength;
   my_free(recinfo);
   DBUG_RETURN(error);
 }
diff --git a/storage/myisam/mi_create.c b/storage/myisam/mi_create.c
index 48b794d1610..77f71f1cf97 100644
--- a/storage/myisam/mi_create.c
+++ b/storage/myisam/mi_create.c
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ int mi_create(const char *name,uint keys,MI_KEYDEF *keydefs,
   share.state.sortkey=  (ushort) ~0;
   share.state.auto_increment=ci->auto_increment;
   share.options=options;
-  share.base.rec_reflength=pointer;
+  share.base.rec_reflength= ci->rec_reflength= pointer;
   /* Get estimate for index file length (this may be wrong for FT keys) */
   tmp= (tot_length + max_key_block_length * keys *
 	MI_INDEX_BLOCK_MARGIN) / MI_MIN_KEY_BLOCK_LENGTH;