diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-measure.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-measure.yml
index c4d49a96ac8..aa4ea18f75f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-measure.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-measure.yml
@@ -362,12 +362,13 @@ jobs:
       mysql:
         image: mariadb:latest
         env:
-          MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD: true
-          MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD:
-          MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress_test
+          MARIADB_ALLOW_EMPTY_ROOT_PASSWORD: true
+          MARIADB_DATABASE: wordpress_test
+          MARIADB_MYSQL_LOCALHOST_USER: 1
+          MARIADB_MYSQL_LOCALHOST_GRANTS: USAGE
         ports:
           - 3306
-        options: --health-cmd="mysqladmin ping" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
+        options: --health-cmd="healthcheck.sh --su-mysql --connect --innodb_initialized" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental == true }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -606,12 +607,13 @@ jobs:
       mysql:
         image: mariadb:latest
         env:
-          MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD: true
-          MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD:
-          MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress_test
+          MARIADB_ALLOW_EMPTY_ROOT_PASSWORD: true
+          MARIADB_DATABASE: wordpress_test
+          MARIADB_MYSQL_LOCALHOST_USER: 1
+          MARIADB_MYSQL_LOCALHOST_GRANTS: USAGE
         ports:
           - 3306
-        options: --health-cmd="mysqladmin ping" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
+        options: --health-cmd="healthcheck.sh --su-mysql --connect --innodb_initialized" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental == true }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/bin/ci/install-wp-tests.sh b/bin/ci/install-wp-tests.sh
index eb1ef5c6584..08a4c234c98 100755
--- a/bin/ci/install-wp-tests.sh
+++ b/bin/ci/install-wp-tests.sh
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ install_db() {
 	fi
 
 	# create database
-	mysqladmin create "$DB_NAME" --user="$DB_USER" --password="$DB_PASS""$EXTRA"
+	mariadb-admin create $DB_NAME --user="$DB_USER" --password="$DB_PASS"$EXTRA || \
+		mysqladmin create "$DB_NAME" --user="$DB_USER" --password="$DB_PASS"$EXTRA
 }
 
 install_wp