diff --git a/mysql-test/r/create.result b/mysql-test/r/create.result
index 4f4cd9ed4d6..7eba25d8ea3 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/create.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/create.result
@@ -2607,3 +2607,5 @@ a	b
 1	1
 unlock tables;
 drop table t1,t2;
+create table t1;
+ERROR 42000: A table must have at least 1 column
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/create.test b/mysql-test/t/create.test
index a1152045dd9..ebcad5f4af4 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/create.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/create.test
@@ -2019,3 +2019,10 @@ connection default;
 select * from t1;
 unlock tables;
 drop table t1,t2;
+
+#
+# MDEV-4880 Attempt to create a table without columns produces ER_ILLEGAL_HA instead of ER_TABLE_MUST_HAVE_COLUMNS
+#
+--error ER_TABLE_MUST_HAVE_COLUMNS
+create table t1;
+
diff --git a/sql/sql_table.cc b/sql/sql_table.cc
index f78f1b56489..887aef643d2 100644
--- a/sql/sql_table.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_table.cc
@@ -4579,7 +4579,7 @@ bool create_table_impl(THD *thd,
 
     if (!hton->discover_table_structure)
     {
-      my_error(ER_ILLEGAL_HA, MYF(0), hton_name(hton)->str, db, table_name);
+      my_error(ER_TABLE_MUST_HAVE_COLUMNS, MYF(0));
       goto err;
     }