diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_case.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_case.rb
index fcaa4b74a6..c7a6c37d50 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_case.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_case.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
   # Defines some test assertions to test against SQL queries.
   class TestCase < ActiveSupport::TestCase #:nodoc:
     def teardown
-      SQLCounter.log.clear
+      SQLCounter.clear_log
     end
 
     def assert_date_from_db(expected, actual, message = nil)
@@ -22,47 +22,57 @@ module ActiveRecord
     end
 
     def assert_sql(*patterns_to_match)
-      SQLCounter.log = []
+      SQLCounter.clear_log
       yield
-      SQLCounter.log
+      SQLCounter.log_all
     ensure
       failed_patterns = []
       patterns_to_match.each do |pattern|
-        failed_patterns << pattern unless SQLCounter.log.any?{ |sql| pattern === sql }
+        failed_patterns << pattern unless SQLCounter.log_all.any?{ |sql| pattern === sql }
       end
       assert failed_patterns.empty?, "Query pattern(s) #{failed_patterns.map{ |p| p.inspect }.join(', ')} not found.#{SQLCounter.log.size == 0 ? '' : "\nQueries:\n#{SQLCounter.log.join("\n")}"}"
     end
 
-    def assert_queries(num = 1)
-      SQLCounter.log = []
+    def assert_queries(num = 1, options = {})
+      ignore_none = options.fetch(:ignore_none) { num == :any }
+      SQLCounter.clear_log
       yield
     ensure
-      assert_equal num, SQLCounter.log.size, "#{SQLCounter.log.size} instead of #{num} queries were executed.#{SQLCounter.log.size == 0 ? '' : "\nQueries:\n#{SQLCounter.log.join("\n")}"}"
+      the_log = ignore_none ? SQLCounter.log_all : SQLCounter.log
+      if num == :any
+        assert_operator the_log.size, :>=, 1, "1 or more queries expected, but none were executed."
+      else
+        mesg = "#{the_log.size} instead of #{num} queries were executed.#{the_log.size == 0 ? '' : "\nQueries:\n#{the_log.join("\n")}"}"
+        assert_equal num, the_log.size, mesg
+      end
     end
 
     def assert_no_queries(&block)
-      prev_ignored_sql = SQLCounter.ignored_sql
-      SQLCounter.ignored_sql = []
-      assert_queries(0, &block)
-    ensure
-      SQLCounter.ignored_sql = prev_ignored_sql
+      assert_queries(0, :ignore_none => true, &block)
     end
 
   end
 
   class SQLCounter
     class << self
-      attr_accessor :ignored_sql, :log
+      attr_accessor :ignored_sql, :log, :log_all
+      def clear_log; self.log = []; self.log_all = []; end
     end
 
-    self.log = []
+    self.clear_log
 
     self.ignored_sql = [/^PRAGMA (?!(table_info))/, /^SELECT currval/, /^SELECT CAST/, /^SELECT @@IDENTITY/, /^SELECT @@ROWCOUNT/, /^SAVEPOINT/, /^ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT/, /^RELEASE SAVEPOINT/, /^SHOW max_identifier_length/, /^BEGIN/, /^COMMIT/]
 
     # FIXME: this needs to be refactored so specific database can add their own
-    # ignored SQL.  This ignored SQL is for Oracle.
-    ignored_sql.concat [/^select .*nextval/i, /^SAVEPOINT/, /^ROLLBACK TO/, /^\s*select .* from all_triggers/im]
+    # ignored SQL, or better yet, use a different notification for the queries
+    # instead examining the SQL content.
+    oracle_ignored     = [/^select .*nextval/i, /^SAVEPOINT/, /^ROLLBACK TO/, /^\s*select .* from all_triggers/im]
+    mysql_ignored      = [/^SHOW TABLES/i, /^SHOW FULL FIELDS/]
+    postgresql_ignored = [/^\s*select\b.*\bfrom\b.*pg_namespace\b/im, /^\s*select\b.*\battname\b.*\bfrom\b.*\bpg_attribute\b/im]
 
+    [oracle_ignored, mysql_ignored, postgresql_ignored].each do |db_ignored_sql|
+      ignored_sql.concat db_ignored_sql
+    end
 
     attr_reader :ignore
 
@@ -75,8 +85,10 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
       # FIXME: this seems bad. we should probably have a better way to indicate
       # the query was cached
-      return if 'CACHE' == values[:name] || ignore =~ sql
-      self.class.log << sql
+      return if 'CACHE' == values[:name]
+
+      self.class.log_all << sql
+      self.class.log << sql unless ignore =~ sql
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/eager_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/eager_test.rb
index 08467900f9..76d3eb8946 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/eager_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/eager_test.rb
@@ -1010,8 +1010,6 @@ class EagerAssociationTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_eager_loading_with_conditions_on_join_model_preloads
-    Author.columns
-
     authors = assert_queries(2) do
       Author.scoped(:includes => :author_address, :joins => :comments, :where => "posts.title like 'Welcome%'").all
     end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_and_belongs_to_many_associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_and_belongs_to_many_associations_test.rb
index ed1caa2ef5..9d693bae0c 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_and_belongs_to_many_associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_and_belongs_to_many_associations_test.rb
@@ -817,11 +817,14 @@ class HasAndBelongsToManyAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
     # clear cache possibly created by other tests
     david.projects.reset_column_information
 
-    assert_queries(1) { david.projects.columns; david.projects.columns }
+    assert_queries(:any) { david.projects.columns }
+    assert_no_queries { david.projects.columns }
 
     ## and again to verify that reset_column_information clears the cache correctly
     david.projects.reset_column_information
-    assert_queries(1) { david.projects.columns; david.projects.columns }
+
+    assert_queries(:any) { david.projects.columns }
+    assert_no_queries { david.projects.columns }
   end
 
   def test_attributes_are_being_set_when_initialized_from_habm_association_with_where_clause
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb
index 5d1bad0d54..fad144ea23 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ if ActiveRecord::Base.connection.supports_bulk_alter?
       # One query for columns (delete_me table)
       # One query for primary key (delete_me table)
       # One query to do the bulk change
-      assert_queries(3) do
+      assert_queries(3, :ignore_none => true) do
         with_bulk_change_table do |t|
           t.change :name, :string, :default => 'NONAME'
           t.change :birthdate, :datetime
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/named_scope_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/named_scope_test.rb
index bf825c002a..2762afc921 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/named_scope_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/named_scope_test.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ class NamedScopeTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_found_items_are_cached
-    Topic.columns
     all_posts = Topic.base
 
     assert_queries(1) do