diff --git a/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py b/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
--- a/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@
     from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
     raise ImproperlyConfigured("Error loading MySQLdb module: %s" % e)
 
+from django.utils.functional import cached_property
+
 # We want version (1, 2, 1, 'final', 2) or later. We can't just use
 # lexicographic ordering in this check because then (1, 2, 1, 'gamma')
 # inadvertently passes the version test.
 version = Database.version_info
-if (version < (1,2,1) or (version[:3] == (1, 2, 1) and
+if (version < (1, 2, 1) or (version[:3] == (1, 2, 1) and
         (len(version) < 5 or version[3] != 'final' or version[4] < 2))):
     from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
     raise ImproperlyConfigured("MySQLdb-1.2.1p2 or newer is required; you have %s" % Database.__version__)
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@
     supports_timezones = False
     requires_explicit_null_ordering_when_grouping = True
     allows_primary_key_0 = False
+    uses_savepoints = True
 
     def __init__(self, connection):
         super(DatabaseFeatures, self).__init__(connection)
@@ -387,8 +390,6 @@
             self.connection = Database.connect(**kwargs)
             self.connection.encoders[SafeUnicode] = self.connection.encoders[unicode]
             self.connection.encoders[SafeString] = self.connection.encoders[str]
-            self.features.uses_savepoints = \
-                self.get_server_version() >= (5, 0, 3)
             connection_created.send(sender=self.__class__, connection=self)
         cursor = self.connection.cursor()
         if new_connection:
@@ -405,10 +406,11 @@
         except Database.NotSupportedError:
             pass
 
-    def get_server_version(self):
+    @cached_property
+    def mysql_version(self):
         if not self.server_version:
             if not self._valid_connection():
-                self.cursor()
+                self.cursor().close()
             m = server_version_re.match(self.connection.get_server_info())
             if not m:
                 raise Exception('Unable to determine MySQL version from version string %r' % self.connection.get_server_info())
diff --git a/django/db/backends/mysql/validation.py b/django/db/backends/mysql/validation.py
--- a/django/db/backends/mysql/validation.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/mysql/validation.py
@@ -3,30 +3,18 @@
 class DatabaseValidation(BaseDatabaseValidation):
     def validate_field(self, errors, opts, f):
         """
-        There are some field length restrictions for MySQL:
-
-        - Prior to version 5.0.3, character fields could not exceed 255
-          characters in length.
-        - No character (varchar) fields can have a length exceeding 255
-          characters if they have a unique index on them.
+        MySQL has the following field length restriction:
+        No character (varchar) fields can have a length exceeding 255
+        characters if they have a unique index on them.
         """
         from django.db import models
-        from MySQLdb import OperationalError
-        try:
-            db_version = self.connection.get_server_version()
-            text_version = '.'.join([str(n) for n in db_version[:3]])
-        except OperationalError:
-            db_version = None
-            text_version = ''
         varchar_fields = (models.CharField, models.CommaSeparatedIntegerField,
                 models.SlugField)
         if isinstance(f, varchar_fields) and f.max_length > 255:
-            if db_version and db_version < (5, 0, 3):
-                msg = '"%(name)s": %(cls)s cannot have a "max_length" greater than 255 when you are using a version of MySQL prior to 5.0.3 (you are using %(version)s).'
-            elif f.unique == True:
+            if f.unique == True:
                 msg = '"%(name)s": %(cls)s cannot have a "max_length" greater than 255 when using "unique=True".'
             else:
                 msg = None
 
             if msg:
-                errors.add(opts, msg % {'name': f.name, 'cls': f.__class__.__name__, 'version': text_version})
+                errors.add(opts, msg % {'name': f.name, 'cls': f.__class__.__name__})
diff --git a/docs/ref/databases.txt b/docs/ref/databases.txt
--- a/docs/ref/databases.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/databases.txt
@@ -122,30 +122,22 @@
 MySQL notes
 ===========
 
-Django expects the database to support transactions, referential integrity, and
-Unicode (UTF-8 encoding). Fortunately, MySQL_ has all these features as
-available as far back as 3.23. While it may be possible to use 3.23 or 4.0,
-you'll probably have less trouble if you use 4.1 or 5.0.
+Version support
+---------------
 
-MySQL 4.1
----------
-
-`MySQL 4.1`_ has greatly improved support for character sets. It is possible to
-set different default character sets on the database, table, and column.
-Previous versions have only a server-wide character set setting. It's also the
-first version where the character set can be changed on the fly. 4.1 also has
-support for views, but Django currently doesn't use views.
-
-MySQL 5.0
----------
+Django supports MySQL 5.0.3 and higher.
 
 `MySQL 5.0`_ adds the ``information_schema`` database, which contains detailed
 data on all database schema. Django's ``inspectdb`` feature uses this
-``information_schema`` if it's available. 5.0 also has support for stored
-procedures, but Django currently doesn't use stored procedures.
+``information_schema`` if it's available.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.5
+    The minimum version requirement of MySQL 5.0.3 was set in Django 1.5.
+
+Django expects the database to support transactions, referential integrity, and
+Unicode (UTF-8 encoding).
 
 .. _MySQL: http://www.mysql.com/
-.. _MySQL 4.1: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/4.1/en/index.html
 .. _MySQL 5.0: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/index.html
 
 Storage engines
@@ -381,10 +373,6 @@
 :class:`~django.db.models.SlugField` and
 :class:`~django.db.models.CommaSeparatedIntegerField`.
 
-Furthermore, if you are using a version of MySQL prior to 5.0.3, all of those
-column types have a maximum length restriction of 255 characters, regardless
-of whether ``unique=True`` is specified or not.
-
 DateTime fields
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
