diff --git a/src/EFCore.MySql/Extensions/MySqlDbContextOptionsBuilderExtensions.cs b/src/EFCore.MySql/Extensions/MySqlDbContextOptionsBuilderExtensions.cs
index 582345df0..34c4da90a 100644
--- a/src/EFCore.MySql/Extensions/MySqlDbContextOptionsBuilderExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/EFCore.MySql/Extensions/MySqlDbContextOptionsBuilderExtensions.cs
@@ -173,10 +173,10 @@ public static DbContextOptionsBuilder UseMySql(
 
                     connection.ConnectionString = csb.ConnectionString;
                 }
-                catch (MySqlException e)
+                catch (Exception e)
                 {
                     throw new InvalidOperationException(
-                        @"The connection string used with Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql must contain ""AllowUserVariables=true;UseAffectedRows=false"".",
+                        @"The connection string of a connection used by Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql must contain ""AllowUserVariables=true;UseAffectedRows=false"".",
                         e);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/ExistingConnectionMySqlTest.cs b/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/ExistingConnectionMySqlTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6385011db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/ExistingConnectionMySqlTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+using System;
+using System.Data;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using MySqlConnector;
+using Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql.FunctionalTests.TestUtilities;
+using Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql.Tests;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql.FunctionalTests;
+
+public class ExistingConnectionMySqlTest
+{
+    [ConditionalTheory]
+    [InlineData(false)]
+    [InlineData(true)]
+    private static async Task Can_use_an_existing_closed_connection(bool openConnection)
+    {
+        var serviceProvider = new ServiceCollection()
+            .AddEntityFrameworkMySql()
+            .BuildServiceProvider();
+
+        using (var store = (MySqlTestStore)MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.Instance
+                   .GetOrCreate(null)
+                   .Initialize(null, (Func<DbContext>)null))
+        {
+            store.CloseConnection();
+
+            var openCount = 0;
+            var closeCount = 0;
+
+            using (var connection = new MySqlConnection(store.ConnectionString))
+            {
+                if (openConnection)
+                {
+                    await connection.OpenAsync();
+                }
+
+                connection.StateChange += (_, a) =>
+                {
+                    if (a.CurrentState == ConnectionState.Open)
+                    {
+                        openCount++;
+                    }
+                    else if (a.CurrentState == ConnectionState.Closed)
+                    {
+                        closeCount++;
+                    }
+                };
+
+                var options = new DbContextOptionsBuilder<NorthwindContext>()
+                    .UseMySql(connection, AppConfig.ServerVersion)
+                    .UseInternalServiceProvider(serviceProvider)
+                    .Options;
+
+                using (var context = new NorthwindContext(options))
+                {
+                    Assert.Equal(91, await context.Customers.CountAsync());
+                }
+
+                if (openConnection)
+                {
+                    Assert.Equal(ConnectionState.Open, connection.State);
+                    Assert.Equal(0, openCount);
+                    Assert.Equal(0, closeCount);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Assert.Equal(ConnectionState.Closed, connection.State);
+                    Assert.Equal(1, openCount);
+                    Assert.Equal(1, closeCount);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    private static async Task Closed_connection_missing_AllowUserVariables_true_in_original_connection_string()
+    {
+        var serviceProvider = new ServiceCollection()
+            .AddEntityFrameworkMySql()
+            .BuildServiceProvider();
+
+        await using (var store = (MySqlTestStore)MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.Instance
+                         .GetOrCreate(null)
+                         .Initialize(null, (Func<DbContext>)null))
+        {
+            store.CloseConnection();
+
+            var csb = new MySqlConnectionStringBuilder(store.ConnectionString) { AllowUserVariables = false };
+
+            await using (var connection = new MySqlConnection(csb.ConnectionString))
+            {
+                var options = new DbContextOptionsBuilder<NorthwindContext>()
+                    .UseMySql(connection, AppConfig.ServerVersion)
+                    .UseInternalServiceProvider(serviceProvider)
+                    .Options;
+
+                using var context = new NorthwindContext(options);
+
+                Assert.Equal(91, await context.Customers.CountAsync());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    private static async Task Opened_connection_missing_AllowUserVariables_true_in_original_connection_string_throws()
+    {
+        await using (var store = (MySqlTestStore)MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.Instance
+                         .GetOrCreate(null)
+                         .Initialize(null, (Func<DbContext>)null))
+        {
+            store.CloseConnection();
+
+            var csb = new MySqlConnectionStringBuilder(store.ConnectionString) { AllowUserVariables = false };
+
+            await using (var connection = new MySqlConnection(csb.ConnectionString))
+            {
+                await connection.OpenAsync();
+
+                Assert.Equal(
+                    Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(
+                        () =>
+                        {
+                            new DbContextOptionsBuilder<NorthwindContext>()
+                                .UseMySql(connection, AppConfig.ServerVersion);
+                        }).Message,
+                    @"The connection string of a connection used by Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql must contain ""AllowUserVariables=true;UseAffectedRows=false"".");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    private static async Task Closed_connection_missing_UseAffectedRows_false_in_original_connection_string()
+    {
+        var serviceProvider = new ServiceCollection()
+            .AddEntityFrameworkMySql()
+            .BuildServiceProvider();
+
+        await using (var store = (MySqlTestStore)MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.Instance
+                         .GetOrCreate(null)
+                         .Initialize(null, (Func<DbContext>)null))
+        {
+            store.CloseConnection();
+
+            var csb = new MySqlConnectionStringBuilder(store.ConnectionString) { UseAffectedRows = true };
+
+            await using (var connection = new MySqlConnection(csb.ConnectionString))
+            {
+                var options = new DbContextOptionsBuilder<NorthwindContext>()
+                    .UseMySql(connection, AppConfig.ServerVersion)
+                    .UseInternalServiceProvider(serviceProvider)
+                    .Options;
+
+                using var context = new NorthwindContext(options);
+
+                Assert.Equal(91, await context.Customers.CountAsync());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    private static async Task Opened_connection_missing_UseAffectedRows_false_in_original_connection_string_throws()
+    {
+        await using (var store = (MySqlTestStore)MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.Instance
+                         .GetOrCreate(null)
+                         .Initialize(null, (Func<DbContext>)null))
+        {
+            store.CloseConnection();
+
+            var csb = new MySqlConnectionStringBuilder(store.ConnectionString) { UseAffectedRows = true };
+
+            await using (var connection = new MySqlConnection(csb.ConnectionString))
+            {
+                await connection.OpenAsync();
+
+                Assert.Equal(
+                    Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(
+                        () =>
+                        {
+                            new DbContextOptionsBuilder<NorthwindContext>()
+                                .UseMySql(connection, AppConfig.ServerVersion);
+                        }).Message,
+                    @"The connection string of a connection used by Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql must contain ""AllowUserVariables=true;UseAffectedRows=false"".");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private class NorthwindContext : DbContext
+    {
+        public NorthwindContext(DbContextOptions<NorthwindContext> options)
+            : base(options)
+        {
+        }
+
+        public DbSet<Customer> Customers { get; set; }
+
+        protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+            => modelBuilder.Entity<Customer>(b =>
+            {
+                b.HasKey(c => c.CustomerId);
+                b.ToTable("Customers");
+            });
+    }
+
+    private class Customer
+    {
+        public string CustomerId { get; set; }
+        public string CompanyName { get; set; }
+        public string Fax { get; set; }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/TestUtilities/MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.cs b/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/TestUtilities/MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.cs
index 1c7ac9cf4..f2511c0fe 100644
--- a/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/TestUtilities/MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.cs
+++ b/test/EFCore.MySql.FunctionalTests/TestUtilities/MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ namespace Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql.FunctionalTests.TestUtilities
 {
     public class MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory : MySqlTestStoreFactory
     {
+        public const string DefaultName = "Northwind";
+
         public static new MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory Instance => InstanceCi;
         public static MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory InstanceCi { get; } = new MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory(databaseCollation: AppConfig.ServerVersion.DefaultUtf8CiCollation);
         public static MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory InstanceCs { get; } = new MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory(databaseCollation: AppConfig.ServerVersion.DefaultUtf8CsCollation);
@@ -16,6 +18,6 @@ protected MySqlNorthwindTestStoreFactory(bool noBackslashEscapes = false, string
         }
 
         public override TestStore GetOrCreate(string storeName)
-            => MySqlTestStore.GetOrCreate(storeName, "Northwind.sql", noBackslashEscapes: NoBackslashEscapes, databaseCollation: DatabaseCollation);
+            => MySqlTestStore.GetOrCreate(storeName ?? DefaultName, "Northwind.sql", noBackslashEscapes: NoBackslashEscapes, databaseCollation: DatabaseCollation);
     }
 }