diff --git a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/e-smith/sql/init/phpmyadmin b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/e-smith/sql/init/phpmyadmin
index 5d9e541..2d66543 100644
--- a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/e-smith/sql/init/phpmyadmin
+++ b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/e-smith/sql/init/phpmyadmin
@@ -16,30 +16,9 @@ fi
 /usr/bin/mysql <<EOF
 USE mysql;
 
-REPLACE INTO user (  
-                     host,
-                     user,
-                     password)
-            VALUES ( 
-                     'localhost',
-                     '$user',
-                     PASSWORD ('$pass'));
+CREATE OR REPLACE USER '$user'\@'localhost' IDENTIFIED VIA mysql_native_password USING PASSWORD ('$pass');
 
-
-REPLACE INTO db (  
-                   host,
-                   db,
-                   user,
-                   select_priv, insert_priv, update_priv, delete_priv,
-                   create_priv, alter_priv, index_priv, drop_priv, create_tmp_table_priv,
-                   grant_priv, lock_tables_priv, references_priv)
-          VALUES ( 
-                   'localhost',
-                   '$db',
-                   '$user',
-                   'Y', 'Y', 'Y', 'Y',
-                   'Y', 'Y', 'Y', 'Y', 'Y',
-                   'N', 'Y', 'Y');
+GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, REFERENCES, INDEX, ALTER, CREATE TEMPORARY TABLES, LOCK TABLES ON $db.* TO '$user'\@'localhost';
 
 GRANT ALL ON *.* TO 'sqladmin'\@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '$admpass'
     WITH GRANT OPTION;
diff --git a/smeserver-phpmyadmin.spec b/smeserver-phpmyadmin.spec
index a2544bd..50b8e77 100644
--- a/smeserver-phpmyadmin.spec
+++ b/smeserver-phpmyadmin.spec
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 Summary: phpMyAdmin for SME Server 
 %define name smeserver-phpmyadmin
 Name: %{name}
-%define version 4.0.10.2
-%define release 16
+%define version 5.2.1
+%define release 1
 Version: %{version}
 Release: %{release}%{?dist}
 License: GPL
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ URL: http://www.phpmyadmin.net/
 BuildRoot: /var/tmp/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-buildroot
 BuildArchitectures: noarch
 Requires: smeserver-base
-Requires: phpMyAdmin >= 4.4.15.10
-Requires: smeserver-release >= 10.0
-Requires: smeserver-apache >= 2.6.0-19
+Requires: phpMyAdmin >= 5.2.1
+Requires: smeserver-release >= 11.0
+Requires: smeserver-apache 
 Obsoletes: phpmyadmin,phpMyAdmin3
 BuildRequires: smeserver-devtools
 Obsoletes: e-smith-phpmyadmin
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ Implementation of phpMyAdmin for SME Server.
 Access with admin username/password via: https://yourdomain/phpmyadmin.
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Sep 13 2024 Jean-Philippe Pialasse <jpp@koozali.org> 5.2.1-1.sme
+- fix mysql user creation [SME: 12736]
+
 * Sun Sep 08 2024 fix-e-smith-pkg.sh by Trevor Batley <trevor@batley.id.au> 4.0.10.2-16.sme
 - Fix e-smith references in smeserver-phpmyadmin [SME: 12732]