diff --git a/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.result b/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.result
index c269896975db8..aeb0be8c8df7a 100644
--- a/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.result
+++ b/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.result
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ connection default;
 revoke alter on mysqltest_1.* from mysqltest_1@localhost;
 connect  conn3,localhost,mysqltest_1,,mysqltest_1;
 alter table t1 drop partition p3;
-ERROR 42000: ALTER command denied to user 'mysqltest_1'@'localhost' for table `mysqltest_1`.`t1`
 disconnect conn3;
 connection default;
 revoke select,alter,drop on mysqltest_1.* from mysqltest_1@localhost;
@@ -49,3 +48,48 @@ drop table t1;
 drop user mysqltest_1@localhost;
 drop schema mysqltest_1;
 End of 5.1 tests
+#
+# MDEV-39028: DROP PARTITION should only require DROP privilege
+#
+CREATE DATABASE mysqltest_2;
+USE mysqltest_2;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT)
+PARTITION BY LIST (a) (
+PARTITION p1 VALUES IN (1),
+PARTITION p2 VALUES IN (2),
+PARTITION p3 VALUES IN (3));
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1),(2),(3);
+CREATE USER mysqltest_2@localhost;
+# Test with only DROP privilege (should succeed)
+GRANT DROP ON mysqltest_2.* TO mysqltest_2@localhost;
+connect  conn_drop,localhost,mysqltest_2,,mysqltest_2;
+SHOW GRANTS FOR CURRENT_USER;
+Grants for mysqltest_2@localhost
+GRANT USAGE ON *.* TO `mysqltest_2`@`localhost`
+GRANT DROP ON `mysqltest_2`.* TO `mysqltest_2`@`localhost`
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP PARTITION p1;
+disconnect conn_drop;
+connection default;
+REVOKE DROP ON mysqltest_2.* FROM mysqltest_2@localhost;
+# Test with only ALTER privilege (should fail)
+GRANT ALTER ON mysqltest_2.* TO mysqltest_2@localhost;
+connect  conn_alter,localhost,mysqltest_2,,mysqltest_2;
+SHOW GRANTS FOR CURRENT_USER;
+Grants for mysqltest_2@localhost
+GRANT USAGE ON *.* TO `mysqltest_2`@`localhost`
+GRANT ALTER ON `mysqltest_2`.* TO `mysqltest_2`@`localhost`
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP PARTITION p2;
+ERROR 42000: DROP command denied to user 'mysqltest_2'@'localhost' for table `mysqltest_2`.`t1`
+disconnect conn_alter;
+connection default;
+REVOKE ALTER ON mysqltest_2.* FROM mysqltest_2@localhost;
+# Test with no privileges (should fail)
+GRANT SELECT ON mysqltest_2.* TO mysqltest_2@localhost;
+connect  conn_none,localhost,mysqltest_2,,mysqltest_2;
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP PARTITION p3;
+ERROR 42000: DROP command denied to user 'mysqltest_2'@'localhost' for table `mysqltest_2`.`t1`
+disconnect conn_none;
+connection default;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+DROP USER mysqltest_2@localhost;
+DROP DATABASE mysqltest_2;
diff --git a/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.test b/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.test
index a5df218bb1038..45ce64fef8333 100644
--- a/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.test
+++ b/mysql-test/main/partition_grant.test
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ connection default;
 revoke alter on mysqltest_1.* from mysqltest_1@localhost;
 
 connect (conn3,localhost,mysqltest_1,,mysqltest_1);
---error ER_TABLEACCESS_DENIED_ERROR
 alter table t1 drop partition p3;
 disconnect conn3;
 
@@ -80,3 +79,56 @@ drop user mysqltest_1@localhost;
 drop schema mysqltest_1;
 
 --echo End of 5.1 tests
+
+--echo #
+--echo # MDEV-39028: DROP PARTITION should only require DROP privilege
+--echo #
+
+CREATE DATABASE mysqltest_2;
+USE mysqltest_2;
+
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT)
+  PARTITION BY LIST (a) (
+    PARTITION p1 VALUES IN (1),
+    PARTITION p2 VALUES IN (2),
+    PARTITION p3 VALUES IN (3));
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1),(2),(3);
+
+CREATE USER mysqltest_2@localhost;
+
+--echo # Test with only DROP privilege (should succeed)
+GRANT DROP ON mysqltest_2.* TO mysqltest_2@localhost;
+
+connect (conn_drop,localhost,mysqltest_2,,mysqltest_2);
+SHOW GRANTS FOR CURRENT_USER;
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP PARTITION p1;
+disconnect conn_drop;
+
+connection default;
+REVOKE DROP ON mysqltest_2.* FROM mysqltest_2@localhost;
+
+--echo # Test with only ALTER privilege (should fail)
+GRANT ALTER ON mysqltest_2.* TO mysqltest_2@localhost;
+
+connect (conn_alter,localhost,mysqltest_2,,mysqltest_2);
+SHOW GRANTS FOR CURRENT_USER;
+--error ER_TABLEACCESS_DENIED_ERROR
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP PARTITION p2;
+disconnect conn_alter;
+
+connection default;
+REVOKE ALTER ON mysqltest_2.* FROM mysqltest_2@localhost;
+
+--echo # Test with no privileges (should fail)
+GRANT SELECT ON mysqltest_2.* TO mysqltest_2@localhost;
+
+connect (conn_none,localhost,mysqltest_2,,mysqltest_2);
+--error ER_TABLEACCESS_DENIED_ERROR
+ALTER TABLE t1 DROP PARTITION p3;
+disconnect conn_none;
+
+connection default;
+
+DROP TABLE t1;
+DROP USER mysqltest_2@localhost;
+DROP DATABASE mysqltest_2;
diff --git a/sql/sql_alter.cc b/sql/sql_alter.cc
index 9e4bc4c2d349e..d5bd26ca2f4bd 100644
--- a/sql/sql_alter.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_alter.cc
@@ -542,11 +542,12 @@ bool Sql_cmd_alter_table::execute(THD *thd)
     DBUG_RETURN(TRUE);
   }
   /*
-    We also require DROP priv for ALTER TABLE ... DROP PARTITION, as well
-    as for RENAME TO, as being done by SQLCOM_RENAME_TABLE
+    DROP PARTITION only requires DROP privilege (not ALTER), consistent
+    with TRUNCATE PARTITION, but RENAME TO requires both ALTER and DROP
   */
-  if ((alter_info.partition_flags & ALTER_PARTITION_DROP) ||
-      (alter_info.flags & ALTER_RENAME))
+  if (alter_info.partition_flags & ALTER_PARTITION_DROP)
+    priv_needed= DROP_ACL;
+  else if (alter_info.flags & ALTER_RENAME)
     priv_needed|= DROP_ACL;
 
   /* Must be set in the parser */