diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql.rb
index d647f6420..8009eb4a6 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql.rb
@@ -96,7 +96,9 @@ def create
 
   def destroy
     merged_name = @resource[:name].sub('@', "'@'")
-    self.class.mysql_caller("DROP USER '#{merged_name}'", 'system')
+    if_exists = (Puppet::Util::Package.versioncmp(mysqld_version, '5.7') >= 0) ? 'IF EXISTS ' : ''
+
+    self.class.mysql_caller("DROP USER #{if_exists}'#{merged_name}'", 'system')
 
     @property_hash.clear
     exists? ? (return false) : (return true)
diff --git a/spec/unit/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql_spec.rb b/spec/unit/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql_spec.rb
index 84d7b63b3..eebdf0f2b 100644
--- a/spec/unit/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/puppet/provider/mysql_user/mysql_spec.rb
@@ -183,6 +183,12 @@
       provider.expects(:exists?).returns(false)
       expect(provider.destroy).to be_truthy
     end
+    it 'removes a user using IF EXISTS' do
+      provider.class.instance_variable_set(:@mysqld_version_string, '5.7.1')
+
+      provider.class.expects(:mysql_caller).with("DROP USER IF EXISTS 'joe'@'localhost'", 'system')
+      expect(provider.destroy).to be_truthy
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'exists?' do