diff --git a/lib/dml/mssql_native_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/mssql_native_moodle_database.php
index ec4e983548b..e4ea6de2e71 100644
--- a/lib/dml/mssql_native_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/mssql_native_moodle_database.php
@@ -903,6 +903,9 @@ class mssql_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         $dataobject = (array)$dataobject;
 
         $columns = $this->get_columns($table);
+        if (empty($columns)) {
+            throw new dml_exception('ddltablenotexist', $table);
+        }
         $cleaned = array();
 
         foreach ($dataobject as $field => $value) {
diff --git a/lib/dml/mysqli_native_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/mysqli_native_moodle_database.php
index 5196484b5c9..35e6bf60117 100644
--- a/lib/dml/mysqli_native_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/mysqli_native_moodle_database.php
@@ -1106,6 +1106,10 @@ class mysqli_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         $dataobject = (array)$dataobject;
 
         $columns = $this->get_columns($table);
+        if (empty($columns)) {
+            throw new dml_exception('ddltablenotexist', $table);
+        }
+
         $cleaned = array();
 
         foreach ($dataobject as $field=>$value) {
diff --git a/lib/dml/oci_native_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/oci_native_moodle_database.php
index 502a266b157..0c6f700d5b6 100644
--- a/lib/dml/oci_native_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/oci_native_moodle_database.php
@@ -1256,6 +1256,10 @@ class oci_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         $dataobject = (array)$dataobject;
 
         $columns = $this->get_columns($table);
+        if (empty($columns)) {
+            throw new dml_exception('ddltablenotexist', $table);
+        }
+
         $cleaned = array();
 
         foreach ($dataobject as $field=>$value) {
diff --git a/lib/dml/pdo_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/pdo_moodle_database.php
index 58874bd016b..53fd8d5c74e 100644
--- a/lib/dml/pdo_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/pdo_moodle_database.php
@@ -386,6 +386,10 @@ abstract class pdo_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         $dataobject = (array)$dataobject;
 
         $columns = $this->get_columns($table);
+        if (empty($columns)) {
+            throw new dml_exception('ddltablenotexist', $table);
+        }
+
         $cleaned = array();
 
         foreach ($dataobject as $field=>$value) {
diff --git a/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php
index 3754d9b1df4..38fd6bc71b4 100644
--- a/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php
@@ -876,6 +876,10 @@ class pgsql_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         $dataobject = (array)$dataobject;
 
         $columns = $this->get_columns($table);
+        if (empty($columns)) {
+            throw new dml_exception('ddltablenotexist', $table);
+        }
+
         $cleaned = array();
         $blobs   = array();
 
diff --git a/lib/dml/sqlsrv_native_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/sqlsrv_native_moodle_database.php
index 6b9bce2fc8b..184329d7bfe 100644
--- a/lib/dml/sqlsrv_native_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/sqlsrv_native_moodle_database.php
@@ -979,6 +979,10 @@ class sqlsrv_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         $dataobject = (array)$dataobject;
 
         $columns = $this->get_columns($table);
+        if (empty($columns)) {
+            throw new dml_exception('ddltablenotexist', $table);
+        }
+
         $cleaned = array ();
 
         foreach ($dataobject as $field => $value) {
diff --git a/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php b/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php
index 146f615914e..80032207def 100644
--- a/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php
+++ b/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php
@@ -2253,6 +2253,14 @@ class core_dml_testcase extends database_driver_testcase {
         } catch (moodle_exception $e) {
             $this->assertInstanceOf('dml_exception', $e);
         }
+
+        // Try to insert a record into a non-existent table. dml_exception expected.
+        try {
+            $DB->insert_record('nonexistenttable', $record, true);
+            $this->fail("Expecting an exception, none occurred");
+        } catch (exception $e) {
+            $this->assertTrue($e instanceof dml_exception);
+        }
     }
 
     public function test_import_record() {