diff --git Mk/Uses/mysql.mk Mk/Uses/mysql.mk
index b5e8549..548802a 100644
--- Mk/Uses/mysql.mk
+++ Mk/Uses/mysql.mk
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 # Provide support for MySQL
 # Feature:	mysql
 # Usage:	USES=mysql or USES=mysql:args
-# Valid ARGS:	<version>, server, embedded
+# Valid ARGS:	<version>, client, server, embedded
 #
 # version	If no version is given (by the maintainer via the port), try to
 #		find the currently installed version.  Fall back to default if
 #		necessary (MySQL-5.6 = 56).
+# client	Depends on the libmysqlclient library (default)
 # server/embedded
 #		Depend on the server at run/build time. If none of these is
 #		set, depends on the client.
@@ -40,6 +41,10 @@ _MYSQL_ARGS:=	${_MYSQL_ARGS:Nserver}
 _WANT_MYSQL_EMBEDDED=	yes
 _MYSQL_ARGS:=	${_MYSQL_ARGS:Nembedded}
 .endif
+.if ${_MYSQL_ARGS:Mclient}
+_WANT_MYSQL_CLIENT=	yes
+_MYSQL_ARGS:=	${_MYSQL_ARGS:Nclient}
+.endif
 
 # Port requested a version
 .if !empty(_MYSQL_ARGS)
@@ -126,7 +131,9 @@ RUN_DEPENDS+=	${LOCALBASE}/libexec/mysqld:${_MYSQL_SERVER}
 .if defined(_WANT_MYSQL_EMBEDDED)
 BUILD_DEPENDS+=	${LOCALBASE}/lib/mysql/libmysqld.a:${_MYSQL_SERVER}
 .endif
-.else
+.endif
+.if defined(_WANT_MYSQL_CLIENT) || \
+	!(defined(_WANT_MYSQL_SERVER) || defined(_WANT_MYSQL_EMBEDDED))
 LIB_DEPENDS+=	libmysqlclient.so.${MYSQL${MYSQL_VER}_LIBVER}:${_MYSQL_CLIENT}
 .endif
 .else
diff --git databases/ateam_mysql_ldap_auth/Makefile databases/ateam_mysql_ldap_auth/Makefile
index 2b03fa3..945ccba 100644
--- databases/ateam_mysql_ldap_auth/Makefile
+++ databases/ateam_mysql_ldap_auth/Makefile
@@ -12,10 +12,9 @@ LICENSE=	GPLv2
 LICENSE_FILE=	${WRKSRC}/COPYING
 
 LIB_DEPENDS=	libconfig.so:devel/libconfig
-RUN_DEPENDS=	mysql${MYSQL_VER}-server>5.6:databases/mysql56-server
 
 USE_OPENLDAP=	yes
-USES=		gmake mysql
+USES=		gmake mysql:client,server
 
 USE_GITHUB=	yes
 GH_ACCOUNT=	ateamsystems
diff --git mail/gld/Makefile mail/gld/Makefile
index 4e62e03..376ce4f 100644
--- mail/gld/Makefile
+++ mail/gld/Makefile
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ LOCAL_DB_SERVER_DESC=	RUN_DEPEND also on selected DB server
 
 .if ${PORT_OPTIONS:MMYSQL}
 CONFIGURE_ARGS+=	--with-mysql=${LOCALBASE}
-USE_MYSQL=	yes
 .	if ${PORT_OPTIONS:MLOCAL_DB_SERVER}
-RUN_DEPENDS+=	mysql-server>=0:databases/mysql${MYSQL_VER}-server
 SUB_LIST+=	MYSQL=mysql
 SUB_LIST+=	PGSQL=
+USES+=	mysql:client,server
 .	else
 SUB_LIST+=	MYSQL=
+USES+=	mysql
 .	endif
 .endif
 
diff --git multimedia/mythtv/Makefile multimedia/mythtv/Makefile
index 2a6cf9b..8bdad2d 100644
--- multimedia/mythtv/Makefile
+++ multimedia/mythtv/Makefile
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ SHEBANG_FILES=	programs/scripts/database/mythconverg_backup.pl \
 USE_QT4=	gui sql network script linguist_build l10n sql-mysql_run \
 		moc_build qmake_build rcc_build uic_build imageformats
 QT_NONSTANDARD=	yes
-USE_MYSQL=	yes
 HAS_CONFIGURE=	yes
 USE_LDCONFIG=	${PREFIX}/lib/mythtv/filters
 REINPLACE_ARGS=	-i ""
@@ -66,7 +65,8 @@ OPTIONS_SUB=	BINDINGS
 BINDINGS_DESC=	Perl and Python bindings
 
 LIRC_LIB_DEPENDS=	liblirc_client.so:comms/lirc
-MYSQL_RUN_DEPENDS=	mysqld_safe:databases/mysql${MYSQL_VER}-server
+MYSQL_USES=	mysql:client,server
+MYSQL_USES_OFF=	mysql
 
 VDPAU_LIB_DEPENDS=	libvdpau.so:multimedia/libvdpau
 VDPAU_CONFIGURE_ENABLE=	vdpau
diff --git www/rnews/Makefile www/rnews/Makefile
index 0e3b6b6..0eddc97 100644
--- www/rnews/Makefile
+++ www/rnews/Makefile
@@ -23,14 +23,15 @@ MYSQLSERVER_DESC=	Use MySQL-Server on localhost
 .include <bsd.port.options.mk>
 
 USE_PHP=	mysql mbstring pcre xml iconv
-USE_MYSQL=	yes
 
 .if ${PORT_OPTIONS:MGD}
 USE_PHP+=	gd
 .endif
 
 .if ${PORT_OPTIONS:MMYSQLSERVER}
-RUN_DEPENDS+=	${LOCALBASE}/libexec/mysqld:databases/mysql${MYSQL_VER}-server
+USES+=		mysql:client,server
+.else
+USES+=		mysql
 .endif
 
 RUN_DEPENDS+=	curl:ftp/curl