diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py b/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py
index fe51d45bb367c..376fe9813ad68 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/syncdb.py
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ def handle_noargs(self, **options):
                     print "Creating table %s" % model._meta.db_table
                 for statement in sql:
                     cursor.execute(statement)
-                tables.append(connection.introspection.table_name_converter(model._meta.db_table))
+                if sql:
+                    tables.append(connection.introspection.table_name_converter(model._meta.db_table))
 
         # Create the m2m tables. This must be done after all tables have been created
         # to ensure that all referred tables will exist.
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/__init__.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app1/__init__.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app1/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app1/models.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app1/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..59a9ac7f6c661
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app1/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from app2.models import NiceModel
+
+class ProxyModel(NiceModel):
+    class Meta:
+        proxy = True
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app2/__init__.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app2/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app2/models.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app2/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..549cd07bd20ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/app2/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+from django.db import models
+
+class NiceModel(models.Model):
+    pass
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/models.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..557b1dde0346a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+"""
+XX. Proxy model inheritance
+
+Proxy model inheritance across apps can result in syncdb not creating the table
+for the proxied model (as described in #12286).  This test creates two dummy
+apps and calls syncdb, then verifies that the table has been created.
+"""
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+from django.conf import settings, Settings
+from django.core.management import call_command
+from django.db.models.loading import load_app
+from django.test import TestCase
+
+class ProxyModelInheritanceTests(TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.old_sys_path = sys.path
+        sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+        self.old_installed_apps = settings.INSTALLED_APPS
+        settings.INSTALLED_APPS = ('app1', 'app2')
+        map(load_app, settings.INSTALLED_APPS)
+        call_command('syncdb', verbosity=0)
+        from app1.models import ProxyModel
+        from app2.models import NiceModel
+        global ProxyModel, NiceModel
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        settings.INSTALLED_APPS = self.old_installed_apps
+        sys.path = self.old_sys_path
+
+    def test_table_exists(self):
+        self.assertEquals(NiceModel.objects.all().count(), 0)
+        self.assertEquals(ProxyModel.objects.all().count(), 0)