diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/instant_alter_bugs.result b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/instant_alter_bugs.result
index c630432585a..661db48099d 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/instant_alter_bugs.result
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/r/instant_alter_bugs.result
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+SET @save_frequency= @@GLOBAL.innodb_purge_rseg_truncate_frequency;
+SET GLOBAL innodb_purge_rseg_truncate_frequency=1;
 #
 # MDEV-17821 Assertion `!page_rec_is_supremum(rec)' failed
 # in btr_pcur_store_position
@@ -295,3 +297,16 @@ ALTER TABLE t DROP COLUMN c, ALGORITHM=INSTANT;
 SELECT * FROM t;
 a	b
 DROP TABLE t;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT PRIMARY KEY, b INT, c INT, d INT, e INT) ENGINE=InnoDB;
+INSERT INTO t1 SET a=1;
+INSERT INTO t1 SET a=2;
+BEGIN;
+UPDATE t1 SET b=1;
+DELETE FROM t1;
+COMMIT;
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP b, DROP c, DROP d, DROP e;
+InnoDB		0 transactions not purged
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+a
+DROP TABLE t1;
+SET GLOBAL innodb_purge_rseg_truncate_frequency=@save_frequency;
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/instant_alter_bugs.test b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/instant_alter_bugs.test
index 338d6972c43..9f49d1d4682 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/instant_alter_bugs.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/innodb/t/instant_alter_bugs.test
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 --source include/have_innodb.inc
 
+SET @save_frequency= @@GLOBAL.innodb_purge_rseg_truncate_frequency;
+SET GLOBAL innodb_purge_rseg_truncate_frequency=1;
+
 --echo #
 --echo # MDEV-17821 Assertion `!page_rec_is_supremum(rec)' failed
 --echo # in btr_pcur_store_position
@@ -313,3 +316,21 @@ ALTER TABLE t ADD COLUMN c INT, ALGORITHM=INSTANT;
 ALTER TABLE t DROP COLUMN c, ALGORITHM=INSTANT;
 SELECT * FROM t;
 DROP TABLE t;
+
+# The following is nondeterministically repeating the bug in a
+# different scenario: the table is empty at the time the ALTER TABLE
+# is invoked, apparently because purge already processed the records
+# for the DELETE, but not the record for the UPDATE.
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT PRIMARY KEY, b INT, c INT, d INT, e INT) ENGINE=InnoDB;
+INSERT INTO t1 SET a=1;
+INSERT INTO t1 SET a=2;
+BEGIN;
+UPDATE t1 SET b=1;
+DELETE FROM t1;
+COMMIT;
+
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP b, DROP c, DROP d, DROP e;
+--source include/wait_all_purged.inc
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+SET GLOBAL innodb_purge_rseg_truncate_frequency=@save_frequency;
diff --git a/storage/innobase/handler/handler0alter.cc b/storage/innobase/handler/handler0alter.cc
index ab3ec7ba249..5c52f74e79e 100644
--- a/storage/innobase/handler/handler0alter.cc
+++ b/storage/innobase/handler/handler0alter.cc
@@ -5630,7 +5630,7 @@ static bool innobase_instant_try(
 	dict_index_t* index = dict_table_get_first_index(user_table);
 	mtr_t mtr;
 	mtr.start();
-	/* Prevent purge from calling dict_index_t::clear_instant_alter(),
+	/* Prevent purge from calling dict_index_t::clear_instant_add(),
 	to protect index->n_core_fields, index->table->instant and others
 	from changing during ctx->instant_column(). */
 	instant_metadata_lock(*index, mtr);
@@ -5821,6 +5821,7 @@ add_all_virtual:
 	if (rec_is_metadata(rec, *index)) {
 		ut_ad(page_rec_is_user_rec(rec));
 		if (!rec_is_alter_metadata(rec, *index)
+		    && !index->table->instant
 		    && !page_has_next(block->frame)
 		    && page_rec_is_last(rec, block->frame)) {
 			goto empty_table;
@@ -5902,7 +5903,7 @@ add_all_virtual:
 		}
 		btr_pcur_close(&pcur);
 		goto func_exit;
-	} else if (page_rec_is_supremum(rec)) {
+	} else if (page_rec_is_supremum(rec) && !index->table->instant) {
 empty_table:
 		/* The table is empty. */
 		ut_ad(fil_page_index_page_check(block->frame));
@@ -5910,7 +5911,9 @@ empty_table:
 		ut_ad(block->page.id.page_no() == index->page);
 		/* MDEV-17383: free metadata BLOBs! */
 		btr_page_empty(block, NULL, index, 0, &mtr);
-		index->clear_instant_alter();
+		if (index->is_instant()) {
+			index->clear_instant_add();
+		}
 		goto func_exit;
 	} else if (!user_table->is_instant()) {
 		ut_ad(!user_table->not_redundant());