diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/ast.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/ast.go
index fb828d507a0..745f54b996a 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/ast.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/ast.go
@@ -6842,15 +6842,21 @@ func VarScope(nameParts ...string) (string, SetScope, string, error) {
 				return VarScope(nameParts[0][:dotIdx], nameParts[0][dotIdx+1:])
 			}
 			// Session scope is inferred here, but not explicitly requested
-			return nameParts[0][2:], SetScope_Session, "", nil
+			return trimQuotes(nameParts[0][2:]), SetScope_Session, "", nil
 		} else if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[0], "@") {
-			return nameParts[0][1:], SetScope_User, "", nil
+			varName := nameParts[0][1:]
+			if len(varName) > 0 {
+				varName = trimQuotes(varName)
+			}
+			return varName, SetScope_User, "", nil
 		} else {
 			return nameParts[0], SetScope_None, "", nil
 		}
 	case 2:
 		// `@user.var` is valid, so we check for it here.
-		if len(nameParts[0]) >= 2 && nameParts[0][0] == '@' && nameParts[0][1] != '@' &&
+		if len(nameParts[0]) >= 2  &&
+			nameParts[0][0] == '@' &&
+			nameParts[0][1] != '@' &&
 			!strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], "@") { // `@user.@var` is invalid though.
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", nameParts[0][1:], nameParts[1]), SetScope_User, "", nil
 		}
@@ -6866,27 +6872,27 @@ func VarScope(nameParts ...string) (string, SetScope, string, error) {
 			if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `"`) || strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `'`) {
 				return "", SetScope_None, "", fmt.Errorf("invalid system variable declaration `%s`", nameParts[1])
 			}
-			return nameParts[1], SetScope_Global, nameParts[0][2:], nil
+			return trimQuotes(nameParts[1]), SetScope_Global, nameParts[0][2:], nil
 		case "@@persist":
 			if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `"`) || strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `'`) {
 				return "", SetScope_None, "", fmt.Errorf("invalid system variable declaration `%s`", nameParts[1])
 			}
-			return nameParts[1], SetScope_Persist, nameParts[0][2:], nil
+			return trimQuotes(nameParts[1]), SetScope_Persist, nameParts[0][2:], nil
 		case "@@persist_only":
 			if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `"`) || strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `'`) {
 				return "", SetScope_None, "", fmt.Errorf("invalid system variable declaration `%s`", nameParts[1])
 			}
-			return nameParts[1], SetScope_PersistOnly, nameParts[0][2:], nil
+			return trimQuotes(nameParts[1]), SetScope_PersistOnly, nameParts[0][2:], nil
 		case "@@session":
 			if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `"`) || strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `'`) {
 				return "", SetScope_None, "", fmt.Errorf("invalid system variable declaration `%s`", nameParts[1])
 			}
-			return nameParts[1], SetScope_Session, nameParts[0][2:], nil
+			return trimQuotes(nameParts[1]), SetScope_Session, nameParts[0][2:], nil
 		case "@@local":
 			if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `"`) || strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[1], `'`) {
 				return "", SetScope_None, "", fmt.Errorf("invalid system variable declaration `%s`", nameParts[1])
 			}
-			return nameParts[1], SetScope_Session, nameParts[0][2:], nil
+			return trimQuotes(nameParts[1]), SetScope_Session, nameParts[0][2:], nil
 		default:
 			// This catches `@@@GLOBAL.sys_var`. Due to the earlier check, this does not error on `@user.var`.
 			if strings.HasPrefix(nameParts[0], "@") {
diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/parse_test.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/parse_test.go
index 548b8eb2348..e730058cf10 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/parse_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/parse_test.go
@@ -1406,76 +1406,146 @@ var (
 			input: "set #simple\n b = 4",
 		}, {
 			input: "set character_set_results = utf8",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "set @@`version` = true",
+			output: "set session version = true",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "select @@`version` = true",
+			output: "select @@`version` = true",
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@session.autocommit = true",
 			output: "set session autocommit = true",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@session.`autocommit` = true",
-			output: "set session `autocommit` = true",
-		}, {
+			output: "set session autocommit = true",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "select @@session.`autocommit` = true",
+			output: "select @@session.`autocommit` = true",
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@session.autocommit = ON",
 			output: "set session autocommit = 'ON'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@session.autocommit= OFF",
 			output: "set session autocommit = 'OFF'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set session autocommit = ON",
 			output: "set session autocommit = 'ON'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set session autocommit := ON",
 			output: "set session autocommit = 'ON'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set global autocommit = OFF",
 			output: "set global autocommit = 'OFF'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@global.optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set global optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input: "set global optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@persist.optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set persist optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input: "set persist optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@persist_only.optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set persist_only optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input: "set persist_only optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@local.optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set session optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set local optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set session optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set session optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input: "set session optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@optimizer_prune_level = 1, @@global.optimizer_search_depth = 62",
 			output: "set session optimizer_prune_level = 1, global optimizer_search_depth = 62",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @@GlObAl.optimizer_prune_level = 1",
 			output: "set global optimizer_prune_level = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input: "set @user.var = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input: "set @user.var.name = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set @user.var.name := 1",
 			output: "set @user.var.name = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "set @`user var` = 1",
+			output: "set @user var = 1",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "select @`user var`",
+			output: "select `@``user var```",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "set @user.`var` = 1",
+			output: "set @user.var = 1",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "select @user.`var`",
+			output: "select @user.var",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "set @`user`.`var` = 1",
+			output: "set @`user`.var = 1",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "select @`user`.`var`",
+			output: "select `@``user```.var",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "set @abc.def.`ghi` = 300",
+			output: "set @abc.def.ghi = 300",
+		},
+		{
+			input:  "select @abc.def.`ghi`",
+			output: "select @abc.def.ghi",
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set autocommit = on",
 			output: "set autocommit = 'on'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set autocommit = off",
 			output: "set autocommit = 'off'",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set autocommit = off, foo = 1",
 			output: "set autocommit = 'off', foo = 1",
-		}, {
+		},
+		{
 			input:  "set names utf8 collate foo",
 			output: "set names 'utf8'",
 		}, {
diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/token.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/token.go
index b57fa8a76c9..0dec4efcc8e 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/token.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/token.go
@@ -428,10 +428,25 @@ func (tkn *Tokenizer) scanIdentifier(firstByte byte, isDbSystemVariable bool) (i
 		buffer.WriteByte(byte(tkn.lastChar))
 		tkn.next()
 	}
-	for isLetter(tkn.lastChar) || isDigit(tkn.lastChar) || (isDbSystemVariable && isCarat(tkn.lastChar)) {
+	for isLetter(tkn.lastChar) || isDigit(tkn.lastChar) || (isDbSystemVariable && isCarat(tkn.lastChar)) /*|| (firstByte == '@' && isCarat(tkn.lastChar))*/ {
 		buffer.WriteByte(byte(tkn.lastChar))
 		tkn.next()
 	}
+
+	// special case for user variables with backticks
+	if firstByte == '@' && tkn.lastChar == '`' {
+		buffer.WriteByte(byte(tkn.lastChar))
+		tkn.next()
+		for isLetter(tkn.lastChar) || isDigit(tkn.lastChar) || isCarat(tkn.lastChar) || unicode.IsSpace(rune(tkn.lastChar)) {
+			buffer.WriteByte(byte(tkn.lastChar))
+			if tkn.lastChar == '`' {
+				tkn.next()
+				break
+			}
+			tkn.next()
+		}
+	}
+
 	if tkn.lastChar == '@' {
 		tkn.potentialAccountName = true
 	}