diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog for persistent-mysql
 
+## 2.13.0.3
+
+* Bugfix: Omit `REFERENCES` in `CREATe TABLE` statements. These are ignored by
+  MySQL, but are a syntax error for MariaDB.
+  [#1355](https://github.com/yesodweb/persistent/pull/1355), a continuation of
+  [#1283](https://github.com/yesodweb/persistent/pull/1283)
+
 ## 2.13.0.2
 
 * Bugfix: prevent fetching constraint info from other databases during migrations [#1301](https://github.com/yesodweb/persistent/pull/1301)
diff --git a/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs b/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs
--- a/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs
+++ b/Database/Persist/MySQL.hs
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Reader (ReaderT, runReaderT)
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Writer (runWriterT)
 
-import qualified Data.List.NonEmpty as NEL
 import Data.Acquire (Acquire, mkAcquire, with)
 import Data.Aeson
 import Data.Aeson.Types (modifyFailure)
@@ -59,6 +58,7 @@
 import Data.IORef
 import Data.Int (Int64)
 import Data.List (find, groupBy, intercalate, sort)
+import qualified Data.List.NonEmpty as NEL
 import qualified Data.Map as Map
 import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe, listToMaybe, mapMaybe)
 import Data.Monoid ((<>))
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@
 import System.Environment (getEnvironment)
 
 import Database.Persist.Sql
-import Database.Persist.SqlBackend
 import Database.Persist.Sql.Types.Internal (makeIsolationLevelStatement)
 import qualified Database.Persist.Sql.Util as Util
+import Database.Persist.SqlBackend
 
 import qualified Database.MySQL.Base as MySQLBase
 import qualified Database.MySQL.Base.Types as MySQLBase
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@
     , "("
     , idtxt
     , if null nonIdCols then [] else ","
-    , intercalate "," $ map showColumn nonIdCols
+    , intercalate "," $ map showCreateColumn nonIdCols
     , ")"
     ]
   where
@@ -467,7 +467,9 @@
                 concat
                     [ " PRIMARY KEY ("
                     , intercalate ","
-                  $ map (escapeF . fieldDB) $ NEL.toList $ compositeFields pdef
+                        $ map (escapeF . fieldDB)
+                        $ NEL.toList
+                        $ compositeFields pdef
                     , ")"
                     ]
             EntityIdField idField ->
@@ -961,8 +963,14 @@
 
 -- | Prints the part of a @CREATE TABLE@ statement about a given
 -- column.
-showColumn :: Column -> String
-showColumn (Column n nu t def gen _defConstraintName maxLen ref) = concat
+showCreateColumn :: Column -> String
+showCreateColumn = showColumn False
+
+showAlterColumn :: Column -> String
+showAlterColumn = showColumn True
+
+showColumn :: Bool -> Column -> String
+showColumn showReferences (Column n nu t def gen _defConstraintName maxLen ref) = concat
     [ escapeF n
     , " "
     , showSqlType t maxLen True
@@ -975,13 +983,21 @@
     , if nu then "NULL" else "NOT NULL"
     , case def of
         Nothing -> ""
-        Just s -> -- Avoid DEFAULT NULL, since it is always unnecessary, and is an error for text/blob fields
-                  if T.toUpper s == "NULL" then ""
-                  else " DEFAULT " ++ T.unpack s
+        Just s ->
+            -- Avoid DEFAULT NULL, since it is always unnecessary, and is an error for text/blob fields
+            if T.toUpper s == "NULL"
+                then ""
+                else " DEFAULT " ++ T.unpack s
     , case ref of
-        Nothing -> ""
-        Just cRef -> " REFERENCES " ++ escapeE (crTableName cRef)
-            <> " " <> T.unpack (renderFieldCascade (crFieldCascade cRef))
+        Just cRef | showReferences ->
+            mconcat
+                [ " REFERENCES "
+                , escapeE (crTableName cRef)
+                , " "
+                , T.unpack (renderFieldCascade (crFieldCascade cRef))
+                ]
+        _ ->
+            ""
     ]
 
 
@@ -1050,14 +1066,14 @@
     , " CHANGE "
     , escapeF n
     , " "
-    , showColumn (Column n nu t def gen defConstraintName maxLen Nothing)
+    , showAlterColumn (Column n nu t def gen defConstraintName maxLen Nothing)
     ]
 showAlter table (Add' col) =
     concat
     [ "ALTER TABLE "
     , escapeE table
     , " ADD COLUMN "
-    , showColumn col
+    , showAlterColumn col
     ]
 showAlter table (Drop c) =
     concat
diff --git a/persistent-mysql.cabal b/persistent-mysql.cabal
--- a/persistent-mysql.cabal
+++ b/persistent-mysql.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            persistent-mysql
-version:         2.13.0.2
+version:         2.13.0.3
 license:         MIT
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Felipe Lessa <felipe.lessa@gmail.com>, Michael Snoyman