diff --git a/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py b/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py
index 35c814f903d..266b6a017cc 100644
--- a/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py
+++ b/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class DeleteQuery(Query):
                 # We can't do the delete using subquery.
                 values = list(query.values_list('pk', flat=True))
                 if not values:
-                    return
+                    return 0
                 return self.delete_batch(values, using)
             else:
                 innerq.clear_select_clause()
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.9.1.txt b/docs/releases/1.9.1.txt
index bc4a0be8adf..eee5a887377 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.9.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.9.1.txt
@@ -34,3 +34,6 @@ Bugfixes
   created by ``startapp`` on Python 2 (:ticket:`25909`). Add this line to your
   own ``apps.py`` files created using Django 1.9 if you want your migrations
   to work on both Python 2 and Python 3.
+
+* Prevented ``QuerySet.delete()`` from crashing on MySQL when querying across
+  relations (:ticket`25882`).
diff --git a/tests/delete/tests.py b/tests/delete/tests.py
index 663a22791b2..1a8941904c2 100644
--- a/tests/delete/tests.py
+++ b/tests/delete/tests.py
@@ -503,3 +503,15 @@ class FastDeleteTests(TestCase):
         # that + fast delete of the related objs.
         self.assertNumQueries(2, a.delete)
         self.assertEqual(User.objects.count(), 0)
+
+    def test_fast_delete_empty_no_update_can_self_select(self):
+        """
+        #25932 - Fast deleting on backends that don't have the
+        `no_update_can_self_select` feature should work even if the specified
+        filter doesn't match any row.
+        """
+        with self.assertNumQueries(1):
+            self.assertEqual(
+                User.objects.filter(avatar__desc='missing').delete(),
+                (0, {'delete.User': 0})
+            )