diff --git a/changes/issue-3095-3214-mysql8-zero-dates b/changes/issue-3095-3214-mysql8-zero-dates
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4e607b51d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/issue-3095-3214-mysql8-zero-dates
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Fix incompatibility zero date issue with MySQL 8.
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go b/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go
index 763faced21..23ef62fd7c 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go
@@ -262,6 +262,14 @@ func saveHostPackStatsDB(ctx context.Context, db sqlx.ExecerContext, host *fleet
 	return nil
 }
 
+// MySQL is really particular about using zero values or old values for
+// timestamps, so we set a default value that is plenty far in the past, but
+// hopefully accepted by most MySQL configurations.
+//
+// NOTE: #3229 proposes a better fix that uses *time.Time for
+// ScheduledQueryStats.LastExecuted.
+var pastDate = "2000-01-01T00:00:00Z"
+
 // loadhostPacksStatsDB will load all the pack stats for the given host. The scheduled
 // queries that haven't run yet are returned with zero values.
 func loadHostPackStatsDB(ctx context.Context, db sqlx.QueryerContext, hid uint, hostPlatform string) ([]fleet.PackStats, error) {
@@ -289,7 +297,7 @@ func loadHostPackStatsDB(ctx context.Context, db sqlx.QueryerContext, hid uint,
 		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.denylisted"), false).As("denylisted"),
 		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.executions"), 0).As("executions"),
 		goqu.I("sq.interval").As("schedule_interval"),
-		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.last_executed"), goqu.L("timestamp(0)")).As("last_executed"),
+		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.last_executed"), goqu.L("timestamp(?)", pastDate)).As("last_executed"),
 		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.output_size"), 0).As("output_size"),
 		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.system_time"), 0).As("system_time"),
 		goqu.COALESCE(goqu.I("sqs.user_time"), 0).As("user_time"),
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/hosts_test.go b/server/datastore/mysql/hosts_test.go
index a921301ccd..4a7e3c6fc5 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/hosts_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/hosts_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+var expLastExec = func() time.Time {
+	t, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, pastDate)
+	return t
+}()
+
 var enrollTests = []struct {
 	uuid, hostname, platform, nodeKey string
 }{
@@ -2447,7 +2452,7 @@ func testHostsAllPackStats(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 
 		require.Zero(t, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].AverageMemory)
 		require.Zero(t, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].Executions)
-		require.Zero(t, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].LastExecuted)
+		require.Equal(t, expLastExec, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].LastExecuted)
 		require.Zero(t, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].OutputSize)
 		require.Zero(t, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].SystemTime)
 		require.Zero(t, tc.packStats.QueryStats[0].UserTime)
@@ -2496,7 +2501,7 @@ func testHostsAllPackStats(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 		Denylisted:         false,
 		Executions:         0,
 		Interval:           30,
-		LastExecuted:       time.Time{},
+		LastExecuted:       expLastExec,
 		OutputSize:         0,
 		SystemTime:         0,
 		UserTime:           0,
@@ -2885,7 +2890,7 @@ func testHostsPackStatsForPlatform(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 			Denylisted:         false,
 			Executions:         0,
 			Interval:           30,
-			LastExecuted:       time.Time{},
+			LastExecuted:       expLastExec,
 			OutputSize:         0,
 			SystemTime:         0,
 			UserTime:           0,
@@ -2901,7 +2906,7 @@ func testHostsPackStatsForPlatform(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 			Denylisted:         false,
 			Executions:         0,
 			Interval:           30,
-			LastExecuted:       time.Time{},
+			LastExecuted:       expLastExec,
 			OutputSize:         0,
 			SystemTime:         0,
 			UserTime:           0,
@@ -2917,7 +2922,7 @@ func testHostsPackStatsForPlatform(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 			Denylisted:         false,
 			Executions:         0,
 			Interval:           30,
-			LastExecuted:       time.Time{},
+			LastExecuted:       expLastExec,
 			OutputSize:         0,
 			SystemTime:         0,
 			UserTime:           0,
@@ -2933,7 +2938,7 @@ func testHostsPackStatsForPlatform(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 			Denylisted:         false,
 			Executions:         0,
 			Interval:           30,
-			LastExecuted:       time.Time{},
+			LastExecuted:       expLastExec,
 			OutputSize:         0,
 			SystemTime:         0,
 			UserTime:           0,