diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency.rb
index 28e081c03c..5b2f2d1902 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency.rb
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ module ActiveRecord
         join_parts.first
       end
 
+      def join_relation(relation)
+        join_associations.each do |association|
+          relation = association.join_relation(relation)
+        end
+        relation
+      end
+
       def columns
         join_parts.collect { |join_part|
           table = join_part.aliased_table
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/finder_methods.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/finder_methods.rb
index 332548ea3e..ba222aac93 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/finder_methods.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/finder_methods.rb
@@ -225,10 +225,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
     def apply_join_dependency(relation, join_dependency)
       relation = relation.except(:includes, :eager_load, :preload)
-
-      join_dependency.join_associations.each do |association|
-        relation = association.join_relation(relation)
-      end
+      relation = join_dependency.join_relation(relation)
 
       if using_limitable_reflections?(join_dependency.reflections)
         relation
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/merger.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/merger.rb
index bda7a76330..eea43aff0e 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/merger.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/merger.rb
@@ -94,9 +94,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
                                                                            [])
           relation.joins! rest
 
-          join_dependency.join_associations.each do |association|
-            @relation = association.join_relation(relation)
-          end
+          @relation = join_dependency.join_relation(relation)
         end
       end