diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 7be78035a1..cee8ceb96e 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -634,6 +634,7 @@ answer newbie questions, and generally made Django that much better:
     David Tulig <david.tulig@gmail.com>
     Justine Tunney <jtunney@lobstertech.com>
     Amit Upadhyay <http://www.amitu.com/blog/>
+    valtron
     Adam Vandenberg
     Geert Vanderkelen
     Vasil Vangelovski
diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/related.py b/django/db/models/fields/related.py
index 2443bbf5c8..305fcd31db 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/related.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/related.py
@@ -529,7 +529,9 @@ class ReverseSingleRelatedObjectDescriptor(six.with_metaclass(RenameRelatedObjec
         # composite fields. In the meantime we take this practical approach to
         # solve a regression on 1.6 when the reverse manager in hidden
         # (related_name ends with a '+'). Refs #21410.
-        if self.field.rel.is_hidden():
+        # The check for len(...) == 1 is a special case that allows the query
+        # to be join-less and smaller. Refs #21760.
+        if self.field.rel.is_hidden() or len(self.field.foreign_related_fields) == 1:
             query = {'%s__in' % related_field.name: set(instance_attr(inst)[0] for inst in instances)}
         else:
             query = {'%s__in' % self.field.related_query_name(): instances}
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.6.3.txt b/docs/releases/1.6.3.txt
index 538c67e5dc..c6adbcf09c 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.6.3.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.6.3.txt
@@ -67,5 +67,9 @@ Other bugfixes and changes
 * Fixed :djadmin:`changepassword` on Windows
   (`#22364 <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/22364>`_).
 
+* Fixed regression in ``prefetch_related`` that caused the related objects
+  query to include an unnecessary join
+  (`#21760 <https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/21760>`_).
+
 Additionally, Django's vendored version of six, :mod:`django.utils.six` has been
 upgraded to the latest release (1.6.1).
diff --git a/tests/prefetch_related/tests.py b/tests/prefetch_related/tests.py
index 1bb64c95fb..765223b71d 100644
--- a/tests/prefetch_related/tests.py
+++ b/tests/prefetch_related/tests.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.db import connection
 from django.db.models import Prefetch
+from django.db.models.query import get_prefetcher
 from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
 from django.utils import six
+from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 
 from .models import (Author, Book, Reader, Qualification, Teacher, Department,
     TaggedItem, Bookmark, AuthorAddress, FavoriteAuthors, AuthorWithAge,
@@ -1055,3 +1057,19 @@ class Ticket21410Tests(TestCase):
 
     def test_bug(self):
         list(Author2.objects.prefetch_related('first_book', 'favorite_books'))
+
+
+class Ticket21760Tests(TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.rooms = []
+        for _ in range(3):
+            house = House.objects.create()
+            for _ in range(3):
+                self.rooms.append(Room.objects.create(house = house))
+
+    #@override_settings(DEBUG=True)
+    def test_bug(self):
+        prefetcher = get_prefetcher(self.rooms[0], 'house')[0]
+        queryset = prefetcher.get_prefetch_queryset(list(Room.objects.all()))[0]
+        self.assertNotIn(' JOIN ', force_text(queryset.query))