Percona XtraDB Cluster: How to skip SST when starting?
I think you want wsrep_sst_method=skip not wsrep_sst_mode=skip

mysql&gt; show variables like 'wsrep_sst%';
+---------------------------+------------+
| Variable_name             | Value      |
+---------------------------+------------+
| wsrep_sst_auth            |            |
| wsrep_sst_donor           |            |
| wsrep_sst_method          | xtrabackup |
| wsrep_sst_receive_address | AUTO       |
+---------------------------+------------+
4 rows in set (0.00 sec)

mysql&gt;