diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/dialect/Dialect.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/dialect/Dialect.java
index bcd790eb7a..05669ecb79 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/dialect/Dialect.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/dialect/Dialect.java
@@ -2011,6 +2011,18 @@ public abstract class Dialect implements ConversionContext {
 	public boolean supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() {
 		return false;
 	}
+	
+	public String getDropTableString( String tableName ) {
+		StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder( "drop table " );
+		if ( supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
+			buf.append( "if exists " );
+		}
+		buf.append( tableName ).append( getCascadeConstraintsString() );
+		if ( supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
+			buf.append( " if exists" );
+		}
+		return buf.toString();
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Does this dialect support column-level check constraints?
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/MultipleHiLoPerTableGenerator.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/MultipleHiLoPerTableGenerator.java
index 6457cd6a5e..8562cf7f98 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/MultipleHiLoPerTableGenerator.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/MultipleHiLoPerTableGenerator.java
@@ -134,15 +134,7 @@ public class MultipleHiLoPerTableGenerator implements PersistentIdentifierGenera
 	}
 
 	public String[] sqlDropStrings(Dialect dialect) throws HibernateException {
-		StringBuilder sqlDropString = new StringBuilder( "drop table " );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( "if exists " );
-		}
-		sqlDropString.append( tableName ).append( dialect.getCascadeConstraintsString() );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( " if exists" );
-		}
-		return new String[] { sqlDropString.toString() };
+		return new String[] { dialect.getDropTableString( tableName ) };
 	}
 
 	public Object generatorKey() {
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/TableGenerator.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/TableGenerator.java
index 7a543af5cd..4beca131f5 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/TableGenerator.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/TableGenerator.java
@@ -211,15 +211,7 @@ public class TableGenerator implements PersistentIdentifierGenerator, Configurab
 	}
 
 	public String[] sqlDropStrings(Dialect dialect) {
-		StringBuilder sqlDropString = new StringBuilder( "drop table " );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( "if exists " );
-		}
-		sqlDropString.append( tableName ).append( dialect.getCascadeConstraintsString() );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( " if exists" );
-		}
-		return new String[] { sqlDropString.toString() };
+		return new String[] { dialect.getDropTableString( tableName ) };
 	}
 
 	public Object generatorKey() {
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableGenerator.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableGenerator.java
index 565f2bf446..b52aad778a 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableGenerator.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableGenerator.java
@@ -571,14 +571,6 @@ public class TableGenerator implements PersistentIdentifierGenerator, Configurab
 
 	@Override
 	public String[] sqlDropStrings(Dialect dialect) throws HibernateException {
-		StringBuilder sqlDropString = new StringBuilder().append( "drop table " );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( "if exists " );
-		}
-		sqlDropString.append( tableName ).append( dialect.getCascadeConstraintsString() );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( " if exists" );
-		}
-		return new String[] { sqlDropString.toString() };
+		return new String[] { dialect.getDropTableString( tableName ) };
 	}
 }
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableStructure.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableStructure.java
index b86f723d8f..dd99e25c10 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableStructure.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/id/enhanced/TableStructure.java
@@ -187,15 +187,7 @@ public class TableStructure implements DatabaseStructure {
 
 	@Override
 	public String[] sqlDropStrings(Dialect dialect) throws HibernateException {
-		StringBuilder sqlDropString = new StringBuilder().append( "drop table " );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( "if exists " );
-		}
-		sqlDropString.append( tableName ).append( dialect.getCascadeConstraintsString() );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
-			sqlDropString.append( " if exists" );
-		}
-		return new String[] { sqlDropString.toString() };
+		return new String[] { dialect.getDropTableString( tableName ) };
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/mapping/Table.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/mapping/Table.java
index 2f9aeccfe1..013291fd9f 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/mapping/Table.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/mapping/Table.java
@@ -571,16 +571,7 @@ public class Table implements RelationalModel, Serializable {
 	}
 
 	public String sqlDropString(Dialect dialect, String defaultCatalog, String defaultSchema) {
-		StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder( "drop table " );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
-			buf.append( "if exists " );
-		}
-		buf.append( getQualifiedName( dialect, defaultCatalog, defaultSchema ) )
-				.append( dialect.getCascadeConstraintsString() );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
-			buf.append( " if exists" );
-		}
-		return buf.toString();
+		return dialect.getDropTableString( getQualifiedName( dialect, defaultCatalog, defaultSchema ) );
 	}
 
 	public PrimaryKey getPrimaryKey() {
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/metamodel/relational/Table.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/metamodel/relational/Table.java
index d106685c3c..b252c01951 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/metamodel/relational/Table.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/metamodel/relational/Table.java
@@ -268,16 +268,7 @@ public class Table extends AbstractTableSpecification implements Exportable {
 
 	@Override
 	public String[] sqlDropStrings(Dialect dialect) {
-		StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder( "drop table " );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsBeforeTableName() ) {
-			buf.append( "if exists " );
-		}
-		buf.append( getQualifiedName( dialect ) )
-				.append( dialect.getCascadeConstraintsString() );
-		if ( dialect.supportsIfExistsAfterTableName() ) {
-			buf.append( " if exists" );
-		}
-		return new String[] { buf.toString() };
+		return new String[] { dialect.getDropTableString( getQualifiedName( dialect ) ) };
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BasicConnectionTest.java b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BasicConnectionTest.java
index 855b12279f..5c5befed5c 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BasicConnectionTest.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BasicConnectionTest.java
@@ -72,7 +72,13 @@ public class BasicConnectionTest extends BaseCoreFunctionalTestCase {
 
 		try {
 			Statement statement = jdbcCoord.getStatementPreparer().createStatement();
-			jdbcCoord.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, "drop table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST if exists" );
+			String dropSql = getDialect().getDropTableString( "SANDBOX_JDBC_TST" );
+			try {
+				jdbcCoord.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, dropSql );
+			}
+			catch ( Exception e ) {
+				// ignore if the DB doesn't support "if exists" and the table doesn't exist
+			}
 			jdbcCoord.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement,
 					"create table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST ( ID integer, NAME varchar(100) )" );
 			assertTrue( jdbcCoord.hasRegisteredResources() );
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BatchingTest.java b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BatchingTest.java
index 9f504c0f46..67e7507f24 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BatchingTest.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/test/jdbc/internal/BatchingTest.java
@@ -80,7 +80,13 @@ public class BatchingTest extends BaseCoreFunctionalTestCase implements BatchKey
 
 		// set up some tables to use
 		Statement statement = jdbcCoordinator.getStatementPreparer().createStatement();
-		jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, "drop table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST if exists" );
+		String dropSql = getDialect().getDropTableString( "SANDBOX_JDBC_TST" );
+		try {
+			jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, dropSql );
+		}
+		catch ( Exception e ) {
+			// ignore if the DB doesn't support "if exists" and the table doesn't exist
+		}
 		jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, "create table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST ( ID integer, NAME varchar(100) )" );
 		assertTrue( jdbcCoordinator.hasRegisteredResources() );
 		assertTrue( logicalConnection.isPhysicallyConnected() );
@@ -138,8 +144,13 @@ public class BatchingTest extends BaseCoreFunctionalTestCase implements BatchKey
 
 		// set up some tables to use
 		Statement statement = jdbcCoordinator.getStatementPreparer().createStatement();
-		jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, "drop table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST if exists" );
-		jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, "create table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST ( ID integer, NAME varchar(100) )" );
+		String dropSql = getDialect().getDropTableString( "SANDBOX_JDBC_TST" );
+		try {
+			jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, dropSql );
+		}
+		catch ( Exception e ) {
+			// ignore if the DB doesn't support "if exists" and the table doesn't exist
+		}		jdbcCoordinator.getResultSetReturn().execute( statement, "create table SANDBOX_JDBC_TST ( ID integer, NAME varchar(100) )" );
 		assertTrue( jdbcCoordinator.hasRegisteredResources() );
 		assertTrue( logicalConnection.isPhysicallyConnected() );
 		jdbcCoordinator.release( statement );