diff --git a/src/TestSuite/Fixture/TestFixture.php b/src/TestSuite/Fixture/TestFixture.php
index 28a70d5c1f6..086dc281e80 100644
--- a/src/TestSuite/Fixture/TestFixture.php
+++ b/src/TestSuite/Fixture/TestFixture.php
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ public function init()
         if (!empty($this->import)) {
             $this->_schemaFromImport();
         }
+
+        if (empty($this->import) && empty($this->fields)) {
+            $this->_schemaFromReflection();
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -218,6 +222,31 @@ protected function _schemaFromImport()
         $this->_schema = $table;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Build fixture schema directly from the datasource
+     *
+     * @return void
+     * @throws \Cake\Core\Exception\Exception when trying to reflect a table that does not exist
+     */
+    protected function _schemaFromReflection()
+    {
+        $db = ConnectionManager::get($this->connection());
+        $schemaCollection = $db->schemaCollection();
+        $tables = $schemaCollection->listTables();
+
+        if (!in_array($this->table, $tables)) {
+            throw new CakeException(
+                sprintf(
+                    'Cannot describe schema for table `%s` for fixture `%s` : the table does not exist.',
+                    $this->table,
+                    get_class($this)
+                )
+            );
+        }
+
+        $this->_schema = $schema = $db->schemaCollection()->describe($this->table);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get/Set the Cake\Database\Schema\Table instance used by this fixture.
      *
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/TestSuite/TestFixtureTest.php b/tests/TestCase/TestSuite/TestFixtureTest.php
index 87f9c81adbb..0ebc3ebed1b 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/TestSuite/TestFixtureTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/TestSuite/TestFixtureTest.php
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  */
 namespace Cake\Test\TestCase\TestSuite;
 
+use Cake\Database\Schema\Table;
+use Cake\Datasource\ConnectionManager;
 use Cake\Log\Log;
 use Cake\TestSuite\Fixture\TestFixture;
 use Cake\TestSuite\TestCase;
@@ -122,6 +124,26 @@ class ImportsFixture extends TestFixture
     ];
 }
 
+/**
+ * This class allows testing the fixture data insertion when the properties
+ * $fields and $import are not set
+ *
+ */
+class LettersFixture extends TestFixture
+{
+
+    /**
+     * records property
+     *
+     * @var array
+     */
+    public $records = [
+        ['letter' => 'a'],
+        ['letter' => 'b'],
+        ['letter' => 'c']
+    ];
+}
+
 /**
  * Test case for TestFixture
  *
@@ -237,6 +259,48 @@ public function testInitImportModel()
         $this->assertEquals($expected, $fixture->schema()->columns());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * test schema reflection without $import or $fields and without the table existing
+     * it will throw an exception
+     *
+     * @expectedException \Cake\Core\Exception\Exception
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage Cannot describe schema for table `letters` for fixture `Cake\Test\TestCase\TestSuite\LettersFixture` : the table does not exist.
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testInitNoImportNoFieldsException()
+    {
+        $fixture = new LettersFixture();
+        $fixture->init();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * test schema reflection without $import or $fields will reflect the schema
+     *.
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testInitNoImportNoFields()
+    {
+        $db = ConnectionManager::get('test');
+        $collection = $db->schemaCollection();
+        if (!in_array('letters', $collection->listTables())) {
+            $table = new Table('letters', [
+                'id' => ['type' => 'integer'],
+                'letters' => ['type' => 'integer', 'null' => true]
+            ]);
+            $table->addConstraint('primary', ['type' => 'primary', 'columns' => ['id']]);
+            $sql = $table->createSql($db);
+
+            foreach ($sql as $stmt) {
+                $db->execute($stmt);
+            }
+        }
+
+        $fixture = new LettersFixture();
+        $fixture->init();
+
+        $this->assertEquals(['id', 'letters'], $fixture->schema()->columns());
+    }
+
     /**
      * test create method
      *