General error 1651 after a mysql migration

Question

I finished migration from 5.1 to 5.6, and (with the same queries as before) mysql complains right away about:

General error: 1651 Query cache is disabled; restart the server with query_cache_type=1 to enable it

I don't want the query cache enabled (that's an app with lots of writting), and my file my.ini looks like this:

# The MySQL server
[mysqld]
# ... other parameters...

query_cache_type = 0
query_cache_size = 0

Also, on connect, my php connection wrapper always executes

SET SESSION query_cache_type = OFF

What I don't understand is

1. Why the parameters apparently do not work
2. Why does mysql even have to complain about a parameter that is disabled when it is the user's choice to do so.

Enlightment needed - Thanks!