diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionProperties.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionProperties.java
index 5134a91a33..e8ffbf67f6 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionProperties.java
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ public class SessionProperties {
 		private static final String DEFAULT_SCHEMA_LOCATION = "classpath:org/springframework/"
 				+ "session/jdbc/schema-@@platform@@.sql";
 
+		private static final String DEFAULT_TABLE_NAME = "SPRING_SESSION";
+
 		/**
 		 * Path to the SQL file to use to initialize the database schema.
 		 */
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ public class SessionProperties {
 		/**
 		 * Name of database table used to store sessions.
 		 */
-		private String tableName = "SPRING_SESSION";
+		private String tableName = DEFAULT_TABLE_NAME;
 
 		private final Initializer initializer = new Initializer();
 
@@ -139,15 +141,24 @@ public class SessionProperties {
 			return this.initializer;
 		}
 
-		public static class Initializer {
+		public class Initializer {
 
 			/**
-			 * Create the required session tables on startup if necessary.
+			 * Create the required session tables on startup if necessary. Enabled
+			 * automatically if the default table name is set or a custom schema is
+			 * configured.
 			 */
-			private boolean enabled = true;
+			private Boolean enabled;
 
 			public boolean isEnabled() {
-				return this.enabled;
+				if (this.enabled != null) {
+					return this.enabled;
+				}
+				boolean defaultTableName = DEFAULT_TABLE_NAME.equals(
+						Jdbc.this.getTableName());
+				boolean customSchema = !DEFAULT_SCHEMA_LOCATION.equals(
+						Jdbc.this.getSchema());
+				return (defaultTableName || customSchema);
 			}
 
 			public void setEnabled(boolean enabled) {
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests.java
index 5c4477dce4..03745f35cd 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/session/SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests.java
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ public class SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests
 				JdbcOperationsSessionRepository.class);
 		assertThat(new DirectFieldAccessor(repository).getPropertyValue("tableName"))
 				.isEqualTo("SPRING_SESSION");
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(SessionProperties.class)
+				.getJdbc().getInitializer().isEnabled()).isTrue();
 		assertThat(this.context.getBean(JdbcOperations.class)
 				.queryForList("select * from SPRING_SESSION")).isEmpty();
 	}
@@ -68,6 +70,8 @@ public class SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests
 				JdbcOperationsSessionRepository.class);
 		assertThat(new DirectFieldAccessor(repository).getPropertyValue("tableName"))
 				.isEqualTo("SPRING_SESSION");
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(SessionProperties.class)
+				.getJdbc().getInitializer().isEnabled()).isFalse();
 		this.thrown.expect(BadSqlGrammarException.class);
 		assertThat(this.context.getBean(JdbcOperations.class)
 				.queryForList("select * from SPRING_SESSION")).isEmpty();
@@ -84,8 +88,27 @@ public class SessionAutoConfigurationJdbcTests
 				JdbcOperationsSessionRepository.class);
 		assertThat(new DirectFieldAccessor(repository).getPropertyValue("tableName"))
 				.isEqualTo("FOO_BAR");
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(SessionProperties.class)
+				.getJdbc().getInitializer().isEnabled()).isTrue();
 		assertThat(this.context.getBean(JdbcOperations.class)
 				.queryForList("select * from FOO_BAR")).isEmpty();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void customTableNameWithDefaultSchemaDisablesInitializer() {
+		load(Arrays.asList(EmbeddedDataSourceConfiguration.class,
+				DataSourceTransactionManagerAutoConfiguration.class),
+				"spring.session.store-type=jdbc",
+				"spring.session.jdbc.table-name=FOO_BAR");
+		JdbcOperationsSessionRepository repository = validateSessionRepository(
+				JdbcOperationsSessionRepository.class);
+		assertThat(new DirectFieldAccessor(repository).getPropertyValue("tableName"))
+				.isEqualTo("FOO_BAR");
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(SessionProperties.class)
+				.getJdbc().getInitializer().isEnabled()).isFalse();
+		this.thrown.expect(BadSqlGrammarException.class);
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(JdbcOperations.class)
+				.queryForList("select * from SPRING_SESSION")).isEmpty();
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
index 1045c577c7..8b29e94dd3 100644
--- a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ content into your application; rather pick only the properties that you need.
 
 	# SPRING SESSION ({sc-spring-boot-autoconfigure}/session/SessionProperties.{sc-ext}[SessionProperties])
 	spring.session.hazelcast.map-name=spring:session:sessions # Name of the map used to store sessions.
-	spring.session.jdbc.initializer.enabled=true # Create the required session tables on startup if necessary.
+	spring.session.jdbc.initializer.enabled= # Create the required session tables on startup if necessary. Enabled automatically if the default table name is set or a custom schema is configured.
 	spring.session.jdbc.schema=classpath:org/springframework/session/jdbc/schema-@@platform@@.sql # Path to the SQL file to use to initialize the database schema.
 	spring.session.jdbc.table-name=SPRING_SESSION # Name of database table used to store sessions.
 	spring.session.mongo.collection-name=sessions # Collection name used to store sessions.