diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index 8d0245d516..303f35cf74 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,22 @@
+*   Expose a way for applications to set a `primary_abstract_class`
+
+    Multiple database applications that use a primary abstract class that is not
+    named `ApplicationRecord` can now set a specific class to be the `primary_abstract_class`.
+
+    ```ruby
+    class PrimaryApplicationRecord
+      self.primary_abstract_class
+    end
+    ```
+
+    When an application boots it automatically connects to the primary or first database in the
+    database configuration file. In a multiple database application that then call `connects_to`
+    needs to know that the default connection is the same as the `ApplicationRecord` connection.
+    However some applications have a differently named `ApplicationRecord`. This prevents Active
+    Record from opening duplicate connections to the same database.
+
+    *Eileen M. Uchitelle*, *John Crepezzi*
+
 *   Support hash config for `structure_dump_flags` and `structure_load_flags` flags
     Now that Active Record supports multiple databases configuration
     we need a way to pass specific flags for dump/load databases since
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_handling.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_handling.rb
index 789202415e..3b6fbf9f3d 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_handling.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_handling.rb
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     end
 
     def primary_class? # :nodoc:
-      self == Base || defined?(ApplicationRecord) && self == ApplicationRecord
+      self == Base || application_record_class?
     end
 
     # Returns the configuration of the associated connection as a hash:
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/core.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/core.rb
index a10b4c4856..3d32c04ac5 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/core.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/core.rb
@@ -155,6 +155,19 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
       mattr_accessor :legacy_connection_handling, instance_writer: false, default: true
 
+      mattr_accessor :application_record_class, instance_accessor: false, default: nil
+
+      def self.application_record_class? # :nodoc:
+        if Base.application_record_class
+          self == Base.application_record_class
+        else
+          if defined?(ApplicationRecord) && self == ApplicationRecord
+            Base.application_record_class = self
+            true
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
       self.filter_attributes = []
 
       def self.connection_handler
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/inheritance.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/inheritance.rb
index d0ef768433..7aaa4cb97b 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/inheritance.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/inheritance.rb
@@ -164,6 +164,21 @@ module ActiveRecord
         defined?(@abstract_class) && @abstract_class == true
       end
 
+      # Sets the application record class for Active Record
+      #
+      # This is useful if your application uses a different class than
+      # ApplicationRecord for your primary abstract class. This class
+      # will share a database connection with Active Record. It is the class
+      # that connects to your primary database.
+      def primary_abstract_class
+        if Base.application_record_class && Base.application_record_class != self
+          raise ArgumentError, "The `primary_abstract_class` is already set to #{Base.application_record_class}. There can only be one `primary_abstract_class` in an application."
+        end
+
+        self.abstract_class = true
+        Base.application_record_class = self
+      end
+
       # Returns the value to be stored in the inheritance column for STI.
       def sti_name
         store_full_sti_class && store_full_class_name ? name : name.demodulize
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/connection_adapters/connection_swapping_nested_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/connection_adapters/connection_swapping_nested_test.rb
index 5aa3318abb..dc14b301c5 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/connection_adapters/connection_swapping_nested_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/connection_adapters/connection_swapping_nested_test.rb
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
             end
           end
         ensure
+          ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
           Object.send(:remove_const, :ApplicationRecord)
           ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection :arunit
         end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/primary_class_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/primary_class_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56329ddfe8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/primary_class_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "cases/helper"
+
+class PrimaryClassTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
+  self.use_transactional_tests = false
+
+  def teardown
+    clean_up_connection_handler
+  end
+
+  class PrimaryAppRecord < ActiveRecord::Base
+  end
+
+  class AnotherAppRecord < PrimaryAppRecord
+    self.abstract_class = true
+  end
+
+  class ApplicationRecord < ActiveRecord::Base
+    self.abstract_class = true
+  end
+
+  def test_application_record_is_used_if_no_primary_class_is_set
+    Object.const_set(:ApplicationRecord, ApplicationRecord)
+
+    assert_predicate ApplicationRecord, :primary_class?
+    assert_predicate ApplicationRecord, :application_record_class?
+    assert_predicate ApplicationRecord, :abstract_class?
+  ensure
+    ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
+    Object.send(:remove_const, :ApplicationRecord)
+  end
+
+  def test_primary_class_and_primary_abstract_class_behavior
+    PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord.primary_abstract_class
+
+    assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :primary_class?
+    assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :application_record_class?
+    assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :abstract_class?
+
+    assert_not_predicate AnotherAppRecord, :primary_class?
+    assert_not_predicate AnotherAppRecord, :application_record_class?
+    assert_predicate AnotherAppRecord, :abstract_class?
+
+    assert_predicate ActiveRecord::Base, :primary_class?
+    assert_not_predicate ActiveRecord::Base, :application_record_class?
+    assert_not_predicate ActiveRecord::Base, :abstract_class?
+  ensure
+    ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
+  end
+
+  def test_primary_abstract_class_cannot_be_reset
+    PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord.primary_abstract_class
+
+    assert_raises do
+      PrimaryClassTest::AnotherAppRecord.primary_abstract_class
+    end
+  ensure
+    ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
+  end
+
+  def test_primary_abstract_class_is_used_over_application_record_if_set
+    PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord.primary_abstract_class
+    Object.const_set(:ApplicationRecord, ApplicationRecord)
+
+    assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :primary_class?
+    assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :application_record_class?
+    assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :abstract_class?
+
+    assert_not_predicate ApplicationRecord, :primary_class?
+    assert_not_predicate ApplicationRecord, :application_record_class?
+    assert_predicate ApplicationRecord, :abstract_class?
+
+    assert_predicate ActiveRecord::Base, :primary_class?
+    assert_not_predicate ActiveRecord::Base, :application_record_class?
+    assert_not_predicate ActiveRecord::Base, :abstract_class?
+  ensure
+    ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
+    Object.send(:remove_const, :ApplicationRecord)
+  end
+
+  unless in_memory_db?
+    def test_application_record_shares_a_connection_with_active_record_by_default
+      Object.const_set(:ApplicationRecord, ApplicationRecord)
+
+      ApplicationRecord.connects_to(database: { writing: :arunit, reading: :arunit })
+
+      assert_predicate ApplicationRecord, :primary_class?
+      assert_predicate ApplicationRecord, :application_record_class?
+      assert_equal ActiveRecord::Base.connection, ApplicationRecord.connection
+    ensure
+      ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
+      Object.send(:remove_const, :ApplicationRecord)
+      ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection :arunit
+    end
+
+    def test_application_record_shares_a_connection_with_the_primary_abstract_class_if_set
+      PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord.primary_abstract_class
+
+      PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord.connects_to(database: { writing: :arunit, reading: :arunit })
+
+      assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :primary_class?
+      assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :application_record_class?
+      assert_predicate PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord, :abstract_class?
+      assert_equal ActiveRecord::Base.connection, PrimaryClassTest::PrimaryAppRecord.connection
+    ensure
+      ActiveRecord::Base.application_record_class = nil
+      ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection :arunit
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/guides/source/active_record_multiple_databases.md b/guides/source/active_record_multiple_databases.md
index 5e8f2283f6..12d61fde56 100644
--- a/guides/source/active_record_multiple_databases.md
+++ b/guides/source/active_record_multiple_databases.md
@@ -123,8 +123,18 @@ class ApplicationRecord < ActiveRecord::Base
 end
 ```
 
-Classes that connect to primary/primary_replica can inherit from `ApplicationRecord` like
-standard Rails applications:
+If you use a differently named class for your application record you can need to
+set `primary_abstract_class` instead so Rails knowns which class `ActiveRecord::Base`
+should share a connection with.
+
+```
+class PrimaryApplicationRecord < ActiveRecord::Base
+  self.primary_abstract_class
+end
+```
+
+Classes that connect to primary/primary_replica can inherit from your primary abstract
+class like standard Rails applications:
 
 ```ruby
 class Person < ApplicationRecord