diff --git a/sql/handler.cc b/sql/handler.cc
index e3ce0436a79..d601bbb8c87 100644
--- a/sql/handler.cc
+++ b/sql/handler.cc
@@ -2758,14 +2758,14 @@ int ha_delete_table(THD *thd, handlerton *hton, const char *path,
   if (hton == NULL || hton == view_pseudo_hton)
     DBUG_RETURN(0);
 
-  if (unlikely((error= hton->drop_table(hton, path))))
+  error= hton->drop_table(hton, path);
+  if (error > 0)
   {
     /*
       It's not an error if the table doesn't exist in the engine.
       warn the user, but still report DROP being a success
     */
     bool intercept= non_existing_table_error(error);
-    DBUG_ASSERT(error > 0);
 
     if ((!intercept || generate_warning) && ! thd->is_error())
     {
@@ -5001,24 +5001,14 @@ static my_bool delete_table_force(THD *thd, plugin_ref plugin, void *arg)
   handlerton *hton = plugin_hton(plugin);
   st_force_drop_table_params *param = (st_force_drop_table_params *)arg;
 
-  /*
-    We have to ignore HEAP tables as these may not have been created yet
-    We also remove engines  marked with
-    HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE as for these we can't check if the table
-    ever existed.
-  */
-  if (hton->db_type != DB_TYPE_HEAP &&
-      !(hton->flags & HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE))
+  int error;
+  error= ha_delete_table(thd, hton, param->path, param->db, param->alias, 0);
+  if (error > 0 && !non_existing_table_error(error))
+    param->error= error;
+  if (error == 0)
   {
-    int error;
-    error= ha_delete_table(thd, hton, param->path, param->db, param->alias, 0);
-    if (error > 0 && !non_existing_table_error(error))
-      param->error= error;
-    if (error == 0)
-    {
-      param->error= 0;
-      return TRUE;                                // Table was deleted
-    }
+    param->error= 0;
+    return TRUE;                                // Table was deleted
   }
   return FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/sql/handler.h b/sql/handler.h
index 4d9f92d3126..e8315b6ad9a 100644
--- a/sql/handler.h
+++ b/sql/handler.h
@@ -1484,6 +1484,11 @@ struct handlerton
    void (*close_cursor_read_view)(handlerton *hton, THD *thd, void *read_view);
    handler *(*create)(handlerton *hton, TABLE_SHARE *table, MEM_ROOT *mem_root);
    void (*drop_database)(handlerton *hton, char* path);
+   /*
+     return 0 if dropped successfully,
+           -1 if nothing was done by design (as in e.g. blackhole)
+           an error code (e.g. HA_ERR_NO_SUCH_TABLE) otherwise
+   */
    int (*drop_table)(handlerton *hton, const char* path);
    int (*panic)(handlerton *hton, enum ha_panic_function flag);
    int (*start_consistent_snapshot)(handlerton *hton, THD *thd);
@@ -1791,13 +1796,6 @@ handlerton *ha_default_tmp_handlerton(THD *thd);
 */
 #define HTON_TRANSACTIONAL_AND_NON_TRANSACTIONAL (1 << 17)
 
-/*
-  The engine doesn't keep track of tables, delete_table() is not
-  needed and delete_table() always returns 0 (table deleted). This flag
-  mainly used to skip storage engines in case of ha_delete_table_force()
-*/
-#define HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE (1 << 18)
-
 class Ha_trx_info;
 
 struct THD_TRANS
diff --git a/sql/log.cc b/sql/log.cc
index b6778f34768..5f4fd6bbcab 100644
--- a/sql/log.cc
+++ b/sql/log.cc
@@ -1692,7 +1692,7 @@ int binlog_init(void *p)
                                      binlog_savepoint_rollback_can_release_mdl;
   binlog_hton->commit= binlog_commit;
   binlog_hton->rollback= binlog_rollback;
-  binlog_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return 0; };
+  binlog_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return -1; };
   if (WSREP_ON || opt_bin_log)
   {
     binlog_hton->prepare= binlog_prepare;
@@ -1702,10 +1702,7 @@ int binlog_init(void *p)
     // recover needs to be set to make xa{commit,rollback}_handlerton effective
     binlog_hton->recover= binlog_xa_recover_dummy;
   }
-  binlog_hton->flags= (HTON_NOT_USER_SELECTABLE |
-                       HTON_HIDDEN |
-                       HTON_NO_ROLLBACK |
-                       HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE);
+  binlog_hton->flags= HTON_NOT_USER_SELECTABLE | HTON_HIDDEN | HTON_NO_ROLLBACK;
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/sql/temporary_tables.cc b/sql/temporary_tables.cc
index 6a507b99ef6..1a8b5c471bd 100644
--- a/sql/temporary_tables.cc
+++ b/sql/temporary_tables.cc
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ bool THD::rm_temporary_table(handlerton *base, const char *path)
   if (mysql_file_delete(key_file_frm, frm_path,
                         MYF(MY_WME | MY_IGNORE_ENOENT)))
     error= true;
-  if (base->drop_table(base, path))
+  if (base->drop_table(base, path) > 0)
   {
     error= true;
     sql_print_warning("Could not remove temporary table: '%s', error: %d",
diff --git a/storage/blackhole/ha_blackhole.cc b/storage/blackhole/ha_blackhole.cc
index c4eba8b4171..0134032351e 100644
--- a/storage/blackhole/ha_blackhole.cc
+++ b/storage/blackhole/ha_blackhole.cc
@@ -399,8 +399,8 @@ static int blackhole_init(void *p)
   blackhole_hton= (handlerton *)p;
   blackhole_hton->db_type= DB_TYPE_BLACKHOLE_DB;
   blackhole_hton->create= blackhole_create_handler;
-  blackhole_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return 0; };
-  blackhole_hton->flags= HTON_CAN_RECREATE | HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE;
+  blackhole_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return -1; };
+  blackhole_hton->flags= HTON_CAN_RECREATE;
 
   mysql_mutex_init(bh_key_mutex_blackhole,
                    &blackhole_mutex, MY_MUTEX_INIT_FAST);
diff --git a/storage/federated/ha_federated.cc b/storage/federated/ha_federated.cc
index c0e5c330edb..871a254f8c0 100644
--- a/storage/federated/ha_federated.cc
+++ b/storage/federated/ha_federated.cc
@@ -484,9 +484,8 @@ int federated_db_init(void *p)
   federated_hton->commit= federated_commit;
   federated_hton->rollback= federated_rollback;
   federated_hton->create= federated_create_handler;
-  federated_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return 0; };
-  federated_hton->flags= (HTON_ALTER_NOT_SUPPORTED | HTON_NO_PARTITION |
-                          HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE);
+  federated_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return -1; };
+  federated_hton->flags= HTON_ALTER_NOT_SUPPORTED | HTON_NO_PARTITION;
 
   /*
     Support for transactions disabled until WL#2952 fixes it.
diff --git a/storage/federatedx/ha_federatedx.cc b/storage/federatedx/ha_federatedx.cc
index 45029fdf17f..dfcbf156f88 100644
--- a/storage/federatedx/ha_federatedx.cc
+++ b/storage/federatedx/ha_federatedx.cc
@@ -438,9 +438,8 @@ int federatedx_db_init(void *p)
   federatedx_hton->rollback= ha_federatedx::rollback;
   federatedx_hton->discover_table_structure= ha_federatedx::discover_assisted;
   federatedx_hton->create= federatedx_create_handler;
-  federatedx_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return 0; };
-  federatedx_hton->flags= (HTON_ALTER_NOT_SUPPORTED |
-                           HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE);
+  federatedx_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return -1; };
+  federatedx_hton->flags= HTON_ALTER_NOT_SUPPORTED;
   federatedx_hton->create_derived= create_federatedx_derived_handler;
   federatedx_hton->create_select= create_federatedx_select_handler;
 
diff --git a/storage/heap/ha_heap.cc b/storage/heap/ha_heap.cc
index 38996dd0c93..895b6edfcf2 100644
--- a/storage/heap/ha_heap.cc
+++ b/storage/heap/ha_heap.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static int heap_panic(handlerton *hton, ha_panic_function flag)
 static int heap_drop_table(handlerton *hton, const char *path)
 {
   int error= heap_delete_table(path);
-  return error == ENOENT ? 0 : error;
+  return error == ENOENT ? -1 : error;
 }
 
 int heap_init(void *p)
diff --git a/storage/perfschema/ha_perfschema.cc b/storage/perfschema/ha_perfschema.cc
index 1509936fe53..f54d46ce979 100644
--- a/storage/perfschema/ha_perfschema.cc
+++ b/storage/perfschema/ha_perfschema.cc
@@ -94,13 +94,10 @@ static int pfs_init_func(void *p)
   pfs_hton= reinterpret_cast<handlerton *> (p);
 
   pfs_hton->create= pfs_create_handler;
-  pfs_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return 0; };
+  pfs_hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return -1; };
   pfs_hton->show_status= pfs_show_status;
-  pfs_hton->flags= (HTON_ALTER_NOT_SUPPORTED |
-                    HTON_TEMPORARY_NOT_SUPPORTED |
-                    HTON_NO_PARTITION |
-                    HTON_NO_BINLOG_ROW_OPT |
-                    HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE);
+  pfs_hton->flags= HTON_ALTER_NOT_SUPPORTED | HTON_TEMPORARY_NOT_SUPPORTED |
+                   HTON_NO_PARTITION | HTON_NO_BINLOG_ROW_OPT;
 
   /*
     As long as the server implementation keeps using legacy_db_type,
diff --git a/storage/sphinx/ha_sphinx.cc b/storage/sphinx/ha_sphinx.cc
index 39e07290853..ca68a5feb60 100644
--- a/storage/sphinx/ha_sphinx.cc
+++ b/storage/sphinx/ha_sphinx.cc
@@ -749,8 +749,8 @@ static int sphinx_init_func ( void * p )
 		hton->close_connection = sphinx_close_connection;
 		hton->show_status = sphinx_show_status;
 		hton->panic = sphinx_panic;
-		hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return 0; };
-		hton->flags = HTON_CAN_RECREATE | HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE;
+		hton->drop_table= [](handlerton *, const char*) { return -1; };
+		hton->flags = HTON_CAN_RECREATE;
 		#endif
 	}
 	SPH_RET(0);
diff --git a/storage/spider/spd_table.cc b/storage/spider/spd_table.cc
index f4b0177c794..e77e1a9261b 100644
--- a/storage/spider/spd_table.cc
+++ b/storage/spider/spd_table.cc
@@ -7249,7 +7249,7 @@ int spider_db_init(
   DBUG_ENTER("spider_db_init");
   spider_hton_ptr = spider_hton;
 
-  spider_hton->flags = HTON_NO_FLAGS | HTON_AUTOMATIC_DELETE_TABLE;
+  spider_hton->flags = HTON_NO_FLAGS;
 #ifdef HTON_CAN_READ_CONNECT_STRING_IN_PARTITION
   spider_hton->flags |= HTON_CAN_READ_CONNECT_STRING_IN_PARTITION;
 #endif