diff --git a/src/main/antlr4/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/mysql.g4 b/src/main/antlr4/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/mysql.g4
index 15c1b43b7..f25f4791b 100644
--- a/src/main/antlr4/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/mysql.g4
+++ b/src/main/antlr4/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/mysql.g4
@@ -14,11 +14,8 @@ statement:
     | BEGIN
     ;
 
-
-
-
 create_database:
-	CREATE DATABASE if_not_exists? name (default_character_set | default_collate)*;
+	CREATE (DATABASE | SCHEMA) if_not_exists? name (default_character_set | default_collate)*;
 	
 create_table: 
     create_table_preamble 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/DDLParserTest.java b/src/test/java/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/DDLParserTest.java
index 18b53417c..d9e8a4958 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/DDLParserTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/zendesk/maxwell/schema/ddl/DDLParserTest.java
@@ -360,6 +360,13 @@ public void testCreateDatabase() {
 		assertThat(create.encoding, is("latin1"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateSchema() {
+		List<SchemaChange> changes = parse("CREATE SCHEMA if not exists `foo`");
+		DatabaseCreate create = (DatabaseCreate) changes.get(0);
+		assertThat(create.dbName, is("foo"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testCommentSyntax() {
 		List<SchemaChange> changes = parse("CREATE DATABASE if not exists `foo` default character set='latin1' /* generate by server */");