diff --git a/lib/ddl/database_manager.php b/lib/ddl/database_manager.php
index eb940766699..a909f337209 100644
--- a/lib/ddl/database_manager.php
+++ b/lib/ddl/database_manager.php
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ class database_manager {
 
         // Check new table doesn't exist
         if ($this->table_exists($check)) {
-            throw new ddl_exception('ddltablealreadyexists', $xmldb_table->getName(), 'can not rename table');
+            throw new ddl_exception('ddltablealreadyexists', $check->getName(), 'can not rename table');
         }
 
         if (!$sqlarr = $this->generator->getRenameTableSQL($xmldb_table, $newname)) {
diff --git a/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php b/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php
index 25ec8c3b51a..11e9929553e 100644
--- a/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php
+++ b/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php
@@ -563,6 +563,17 @@ class core_ddl_testcase extends database_driver_testcase {
             'secondname' => 'not important',
             'intro'      => 'not important');
         $this->assertSame($insertedrows+1, $DB->insert_record('test_table_cust1', $rec));
+
+        // Verify behavior when target table already exists.
+        $sourcetable = $this->create_deftable('test_table0');
+        $targettable = $this->create_deftable('test_table1');
+        try {
+            $dbman->rename_table($sourcetable, $targettable->getName());
+            $this->fail('Exception expected');
+        } catch (moodle_exception $e) {
+            $this->assertInstanceOf('ddl_exception', $e);
+            $this->assertEquals('Table "test_table1" already exists (can not rename table)', $e->getMessage());
+        }
     }
 
     /**