diff --git a/django/db/backends/dummy/base.py b/django/db/backends/dummy/base.py
index e3ab4564ea6..b1385aaeb8c 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/dummy/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/dummy/base.py
@@ -41,13 +41,16 @@ class DatabaseWrapper(object):
     _commit = complain
     _rollback = ignore
 
-    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, settings_dict, alias, *args, **kwargs):
         self.features = BaseDatabaseFeatures()
         self.ops = DatabaseOperations()
         self.client = DatabaseClient(self)
         self.creation = BaseDatabaseCreation(self)
         self.introspection = DatabaseIntrospection(self)
-        self.validation = BaseDatabaseValidation()
+        self.validation = BaseDatabaseValidation(self)
+
+        self.settings_dict = settings_dict
+        self.alias = alias
 
     def close(self):
         pass
diff --git a/django/db/utils.py b/django/db/utils.py
index 8c0b6771566..0be40daeca6 100644
--- a/django/db/utils.py
+++ b/django/db/utils.py
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ class ConnectionHandler(object):
             conn = self.databases[alias]
         except KeyError:
             raise ConnectionDoesNotExist("The connection %s doesn't exist" % alias)
-        conn.setdefault('ENGINE', 'dummy')
+        conn.setdefault('ENGINE', 'django.db.backends.dummy')
+        if conn['ENGINE'] == 'django.db.backends.':
+            conn['ENGINE'] = 'django.db.backends.dummy'
         conn.setdefault('OPTIONS', {})
         conn.setdefault('TEST_CHARSET', None)
         conn.setdefault('TEST_COLLATION', None)