diff --git a/src/Sql/SqlBase.php b/src/Sql/SqlBase.php
index 98b7b05620..cd69d2fc59 100644
--- a/src/Sql/SqlBase.php
+++ b/src/Sql/SqlBase.php
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public static function getInstance($db_spec, $options): ?self
         $driver = $db_spec['driver'];
         $class_name = 'Drush\Sql\Sql' . ucfirst($driver);
         if (class_exists($class_name)) {
-            $instance = new $class_name($db_spec, $options);
+            $instance = method_exists($class_name, 'make') ? $class_name::make($db_spec, $options) : new $class_name($db_spec, $options);
             // Inject config
             $instance->setConfig(Drush::config());
             return $instance;
diff --git a/src/Sql/SqlMariaDB.php b/src/Sql/SqlMariaDB.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ed66a3b66a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Sql/SqlMariaDB.php
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Drush\Sql;
+
+use Drush\Exec\ExecTrait;
+
+class SqlMariaDB extends SqlMysql
+{
+    use ExecTrait;
+
+    public function dumpProgram(): string
+    {
+        if (self::programExists('mariadb-dump')) {
+            return 'mariadb-dump';
+        }
+        return parent::dumpProgram();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Sql/SqlMysql.php b/src/Sql/SqlMysql.php
index cf56e636af..6c2b7dfb08 100644
--- a/src/Sql/SqlMysql.php
+++ b/src/Sql/SqlMysql.php
@@ -8,13 +8,51 @@
 
 class SqlMysql extends SqlBase
 {
+    protected string $version;
+
     public string $queryExtra = '-A';
 
+    /**
+     * A factory method which creates a mysql or mariadb instance as needed.
+     */
+    public static function make(array $dbSpec, array $options)
+    {
+        // First get a MySQL instance
+        $instance = new static($dbSpec, $options);
+        $sql = 'SELECT VERSION();"';
+        $instance->alwaysQuery($sql);
+        $out = trim($instance->getProcess()->getOutput());
+        if (str_contains($out, 'MariaDB')) {
+            // Replace with a MariaDB driver.
+            $instance = new SqlMariaDB($dbSpec, $options);
+        }
+        $instance->setVersion($out);
+        return $instance;
+    }
+
     public function command(): string
     {
         return 'mysql';
     }
 
+    public function dumpProgram(): string
+    {
+        return 'mysqldump';
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The server version.
+     */
+    public function getVersion(): string
+    {
+        return $this->version;
+    }
+
+    public function setVersion(string $version): void
+    {
+        $this->version = $version;
+    }
+
     public function creds($hide_password = true): string
     {
         $dbSpec = $this->getDbSpec();
@@ -160,7 +198,7 @@ public function dumpCmd($table_selection): string
         // The ordered-dump option is only supported by MySQL for now.
         $ordered_dump = $this->getOption('ordered-dump');
 
-        $exec = 'mysqldump ';
+        $exec = $this->dumpProgram() . ' ';
         // mysqldump wants 'databasename' instead of 'database=databasename' for no good reason.
         $only_db_name = str_replace('--database=', ' ', $this->creds());
         $exec .= $only_db_name;