MySQLDump stops after 664 of 741 tables - only structure

Question

I have a PHP-script to dump the "structure only" of a database with a total of 741 tables.

Im calling "shell_exec" which works fine.

The reason is, sadly... I do not have any shell-access, root or SUPER privileges on the database, (but i can execute PHP scripts on remote server) and I have SELECT permissions on all tables.

I want to dump the DB to clone for a local test-environment

My command template:

mysqldump --compress --add-drop-database --single-transaction=TRUE --add-drop-table --no-data --host=%host% --port=%port% --user=%username% %password% %databasename% > %targetfile%

In general it totally works, but for an odd reason, always at table #640 out of 741 the mysqldump all of a sudden stops. But it stops clean at the end of the structure-dump of table 640 and importing the .sql file works fine.

Only that 101 tables are missing and I see no reason why.

I tried max_allowed_packed=1G (on server is 104 MB, should be enough for structure only). Result file with 640 tables has only 809kb of size.

I tried --quick and --compress and several other options but it wont work it simply stops with no error at table #640.

Does mysqldump know any natural limit or any option I didnt see yet?

My workarround would be use SHOW TABLES, result in array, split list in half and fire 2 command and assemble the result together.

But that "should not be" the solution. Maybe someone seen this strange behaviour before.

Thanks!