diff --git a/django/conf/global_settings.py b/django/conf/global_settings.py
index f1cbb22880..84296c7493 100644
--- a/django/conf/global_settings.py
+++ b/django/conf/global_settings.py
@@ -150,12 +150,8 @@ SERVER_EMAIL = 'root@localhost'
 # Whether to send broken-link emails.
 SEND_BROKEN_LINK_EMAILS = False
 
-# Database connection info.
-DATABASES = {
-    'default': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.dummy',
-    },
-}
+# Database connection info. If left empty, will default to the dummy backend.
+DATABASES = {}
 
 # Classes used to implement DB routing behavior.
 DATABASE_ROUTERS = []
diff --git a/django/db/__init__.py b/django/db/__init__.py
index 26c7add0af..b1980488df 100644
--- a/django/db/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ __all__ = ('backend', 'connection', 'connections', 'router', 'DatabaseError',
     'IntegrityError', 'DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS')
 
 
-if DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS not in settings.DATABASES:
+if settings.DATABASES and DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS not in settings.DATABASES:
     raise ImproperlyConfigured("You must define a '%s' database" % DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS)
 
 connections = ConnectionHandler(settings.DATABASES)
diff --git a/django/db/utils.py b/django/db/utils.py
index 5fa78fe350..a91298626b 100644
--- a/django/db/utils.py
+++ b/django/db/utils.py
@@ -53,7 +53,14 @@ class ConnectionDoesNotExist(Exception):
 
 class ConnectionHandler(object):
     def __init__(self, databases):
-        self.databases = databases
+        if not databases:
+            self.databases = {
+                DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS: {
+                    'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.dummy',
+                },
+            }
+        else:
+            self.databases = databases
         self._connections = local()
 
     def ensure_defaults(self, alias):
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/backends/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/backends/tests.py
index 4766dcf44e..14b3e0053c 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/backends/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/backends/tests.py
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ from django.utils import unittest
 from . import models
 
 
+class DummyBackendTest(TestCase):
+    def test_no_databases(self):
+        """
+        Test that empty DATABASES setting default to the dummy backend.
+        """
+        DATABASES = {}
+        conns = ConnectionHandler(DATABASES)
+        self.assertEqual(conns[DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS].settings_dict['ENGINE'],
+            'django.db.backends.dummy')
+
+
 class OracleChecks(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(connection.vendor == 'oracle',