diff --git a/django/core/checks/__init__.py b/django/core/checks/__init__.py
index 82a3acf337b..691f2f96062 100644
--- a/django/core/checks/__init__.py
+++ b/django/core/checks/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from .registry import register, run_checks, tag_exists
 
 # Import these to force registration of checks
 import django.core.checks.compatibility.django_1_6_0  # NOQA
+import django.core.checks.migrations  # NOQA
 import django.core.checks.model_checks  # NOQA
 
 __all__ = [
diff --git a/django/core/checks/migrations.py b/django/core/checks/migrations.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c557ad39e7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/core/checks/migrations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.conf import settings
+
+from . import Warning, register
+
+
+@register('migrations')
+def check_migrations(app_configs=None, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Checks to see if the set of migrations on disk matches the
+    migrations in the database. Prints a warning if they don't match.
+    """
+    from django.db import connections, DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS
+    from django.db.migrations.executor import MigrationExecutor
+
+    errors = []
+    plan = None
+    if settings.DATABASES:
+        executor = MigrationExecutor(connections[DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS])
+        plan = executor.migration_plan(executor.loader.graph.leaf_nodes())
+    if plan:
+        errors.append(
+            Warning(
+                "You have unapplied migrations; "
+                "your app may not work properly until they are applied.",
+                hint="Run 'python manage.py migrate' to apply them.",
+            )
+        )
+    return errors
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py b/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py
index e85aa88c3ef..83206144094 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import socket
 
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
 from django.core.servers.basehttp import run, get_internal_wsgi_application
-from django.db import connections, DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS
-from django.db.migrations.executor import MigrationExecutor
 from django.utils import autoreload
 from django.utils import six
 
@@ -101,7 +99,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
         self.stdout.write("Performing system checks...\n\n")
         self.validate(display_num_errors=True)
-        self.check_migrations()
         now = datetime.now().strftime('%B %d, %Y - %X')
         if six.PY2:
             now = now.decode('utf-8')
@@ -146,16 +143,5 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
                 self.stdout.write(shutdown_message)
             sys.exit(0)
 
-    def check_migrations(self):
-        """
-        Checks to see if the set of migrations on disk matches the
-        migrations in the database. Prints a warning if they don't match.
-        """
-        executor = MigrationExecutor(connections[DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS])
-        plan = executor.migration_plan(executor.loader.graph.leaf_nodes())
-        if plan:
-            self.stdout.write(self.style.NOTICE("\nYou have unapplied migrations; your app may not work properly until they are applied."))
-            self.stdout.write(self.style.NOTICE("Run 'python manage.py migrate' to apply them.\n"))
-
 # Kept for backward compatibility
 BaseRunserverCommand = Command