diff --git a/pkg/session/bootstrap.go b/pkg/session/bootstrap.go
index d8c8127170208..7fc5197e9b311 100644
--- a/pkg/session/bootstrap.go
+++ b/pkg/session/bootstrap.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/pkg/util/intest"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/pkg/util/logutil"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/pkg/util/sqlescape"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/pkg/util/sqlexec"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
@@ -1042,13 +1043,9 @@ func upgrade(s sessiontypes.Session) {
 // initGlobalVariableIfNotExists initialize a global variable with specific val if it does not exist.
 func initGlobalVariableIfNotExists(s sessiontypes.Session, name string, val any) {
 	ctx := kv.WithInternalSourceType(context.Background(), kv.InternalTxnBootstrap)
-	rs, err := s.ExecuteInternal(ctx, "SELECT VARIABLE_VALUE FROM %n.%n WHERE VARIABLE_NAME=%?;",
-		mysql.SystemDB, mysql.GlobalVariablesTable, name)
+	rows, err := sqlexec.ExecSQL(ctx, s, "SELECT VARIABLE_VALUE FROM %n.%n WHERE VARIABLE_NAME=%?;", mysql.SystemDB, mysql.GlobalVariablesTable, name)
 	terror.MustNil(err)
-	req := rs.NewChunk(nil)
-	err = rs.Next(ctx, req)
-	terror.MustNil(err)
-	if req.NumRows() != 0 {
+	if len(rows) != 0 {
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/session/bootstrap_test.go b/pkg/session/bootstrap_test.go
index 74d6417fdb3c4..51bb2f3ae782f 100644
--- a/pkg/session/bootstrap_test.go
+++ b/pkg/session/bootstrap_test.go
@@ -2323,6 +2323,20 @@ func TestTiDBUpgradeToVer212(t *testing.T) {
 	MustExec(t, seCurVer, "select sample_sql, start_time, plan_digest from mysql.tidb_runaway_queries")
 }
 
+func TestIssue61890(t *testing.T) {
+	store, dom := CreateStoreAndBootstrap(t)
+	defer func() { require.NoError(t, store.Close()) }()
+
+	s1 := CreateSessionAndSetID(t, store)
+	MustExec(t, s1, "drop table mysql.global_variables")
+	MustExec(t, s1, "create table mysql.global_variables(`VARIABLE_NAME` varchar(64) NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY clustered, `VARIABLE_VALUE` varchar(16383) DEFAULT NULL)")
+
+	s2 := CreateSessionAndSetID(t, store)
+	initGlobalVariableIfNotExists(s2, vardef.TiDBEnableINLJoinInnerMultiPattern, vardef.Off)
+
+	dom.Close()
+}
+
 func TestIndexJoinMultiPatternByUpgrade650To840(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store, dom := CreateStoreAndBootstrap(t)