diff --git a/examples/compose/config/init_db.sql b/examples/compose/config/init_db.sql
index b567faf1722..8c0ba4ebdd9 100644
--- a/examples/compose/config/init_db.sql
+++ b/examples/compose/config/init_db.sql
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS _vt.shard_metadata (
 CREATE USER 'vt_dba'@'localhost';
 GRANT ALL ON *.* TO 'vt_dba'@'localhost';
 GRANT GRANT OPTION ON *.* TO 'vt_dba'@'localhost';
+GRANT PROXY ON ''@'' TO 'vt_dba'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
 # User for app traffic, with global read-write access.
 CREATE USER 'vt_app'@'localhost';
 GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, RELOAD, PROCESS, FILE,
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/testdata/config/init_testserver_db.sql b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/testdata/config/init_testserver_db.sql
index fc78f6b414a..71bfba11ed8 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/testdata/config/init_testserver_db.sql
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/testdata/config/init_testserver_db.sql
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS test;
 CREATE USER 'vt_dba'@'localhost';
 GRANT ALL ON *.* TO 'vt_dba'@'localhost';
 GRANT GRANT OPTION ON *.* TO 'vt_dba'@'localhost';
+GRANT PROXY ON ''@'' TO 'vt_dba'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
 
 # User for app traffic, with global read-write access.
 CREATE USER 'vt_app'@'localhost';