diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
index 6aec0c5703..667fbbf493 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
@@ -175,12 +175,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         cmp_fmts = list(self.compression_formats.keys()) if cmp_fmt is None else [cmp_fmt]
         ser_fmts = serializers.get_public_serializer_formats() if ser_fmt is None else [ser_fmt]
 
-        # Check kept for backwards-compatibility; it doesn't look very useful.
-        if '.' in os.path.basename(fixture_name):
-            raise CommandError(
-                "Problem installing fixture '%s': %s is not a known "
-                "serialization format." % tuple(fixture_name.rsplit('.')))
-
         if self.verbosity >= 2:
             self.stdout.write("Loading '%s' fixtures..." % fixture_name)
 
@@ -253,9 +247,14 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         else:
             cmp_fmt = None
 
-        if len(parts) > 1 and parts[-1] in self.serialization_formats:
-            ser_fmt = parts[-1]
-            parts = parts[:-1]
+        if len(parts) > 1:
+            if parts[-1] in self.serialization_formats:
+                ser_fmt = parts[-1]
+                parts = parts[:-1]
+            else:
+                raise CommandError(
+                    "Problem installing fixture '%s': %s is not a known "
+                    "serialization format." % (''.join(parts[:-1]), parts[-1]))
         else:
             ser_fmt = None
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt b/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt
index ad85908ca8..d88b404bc5 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt
@@ -24,3 +24,5 @@ Bug fixes
   from working in ``ModelForms``.
 * Fixed ``django.contrib.humanize`` translations where the unicode sequence
   for the non-breaking space was returned verbatim (#21415).
+* Fixed :djadmin:`loaddata` error when fixture file name contained any dots
+  non related to file extensions (#21457).
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_regress/fixtures/path.containing.dots.json b/tests/fixtures_regress/fixtures/path.containing.dots.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d62ac03fff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures_regress/fixtures/path.containing.dots.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[
+    {
+        "pk": "1",
+        "model": "fixtures_regress.absolute",
+        "fields": {
+            "name": "Load Absolute Path Test"
+        }
+    }
+]
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py b/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
index 4bfb45ea39..c5ef83bee0 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
@@ -165,6 +165,14 @@ class TestFixtures(TestCase):
             os.chdir(cwd)
         self.assertEqual(Absolute.objects.count(), 1)
 
+    def test_path_containing_dots(self):
+        management.call_command(
+            'loaddata',
+            'path.containing.dots.json',
+            verbosity=0,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(Absolute.objects.count(), 1)
+
     def test_unknown_format(self):
         """
         Test for ticket #4371 -- Loading data of an unknown format should fail