diff --git a/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php b/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
index 6a794b09a90..72d4361b73a 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Model/Model.php
@@ -1428,8 +1428,12 @@ public function getColumnTypes() {
  * @return string Column type
  */
 	public function getColumnType($column) {
-		$db = $this->getDataSource();
 		$cols = $this->schema();
+		if (isset($cols[$column]) && isset($cols[$column]['type'])) {
+			return $cols[$column]['type'];
+		}
+
+		$db = $this->getDataSource();
 		$model = null;
 
 		$startQuote = isset($db->startQuote) ? $db->startQuote : null;
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
index 839af667183..8f941b05921 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelIntegrationTest.php
@@ -2497,4 +2497,17 @@ public function testSchemaNoDB() {
 		$model->expects($this->never())->method('getDataSource');
 		$this->assertEmpty($model->schema());
 	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that calling getColumnType() on a model that is not supposed to use a table
+ * does not trigger any calls on any datasource
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testGetColumnTypeNoDB() {
+		$model = $this->getMock('Example', array('getDataSource'));
+		$model->expects($this->never())->method('getDataSource');
+		$result = $model->getColumnType('filefield');
+		$this->assertEquals('string', $result);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php
index a4ce60c91d2..de578d21879 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/models.php
@@ -5048,3 +5048,34 @@ public function beforeValidate($options = array()) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+/**
+ * Example class
+ *
+ * @package       Cake.Test.Case.Model
+ */
+class Example extends AppModel {
+
+/**
+ * useTable property
+ *
+ * @var string
+ */
+	public $useTable = false;
+
+/**
+ * schema property
+ *
+ * @var array
+ */
+	protected $_schema = array(
+		'filefield' => array(
+			'type'    => 'string',
+			'length'  => 254,
+			'default' => null,
+			'null'    => true,
+			'comment' => null
+		),
+	);
+
+}