diff --git a/django/contrib/auth/management/__init__.py b/django/contrib/auth/management/__init__.py
index e1b9be2e9b..343828ec17 100644
--- a/django/contrib/auth/management/__init__.py
+++ b/django/contrib/auth/management/__init__.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def create_permissions(app, created_models, verbosity, db=DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS, **kw
     except UnavailableApp:
         return
 
-    if not router.allow_syncdb(db, auth_app.Permission):
+    if not router.allow_migrate(db, auth_app.Permission):
         return
 
     from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
diff --git a/django/contrib/contenttypes/management.py b/django/contrib/contenttypes/management.py
index 21a34b2bfa..4278bbd1e7 100644
--- a/django/contrib/contenttypes/management.py
+++ b/django/contrib/contenttypes/management.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def update_contenttypes(app, created_models, verbosity=2, db=DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS, *
     except UnavailableApp:
         return
 
-    if not router.allow_syncdb(db, ContentType):
+    if not router.allow_migrate(db, ContentType):
         return
 
     ContentType.objects.clear_cache()
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py b/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py
index c4c27b353e..3b040624f3 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/tests/layermap/tests.py
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ class OtherRouter(object):
     def allow_relation(self, obj1, obj2, **hints):
         return None
 
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         return True
 
 
diff --git a/django/contrib/sites/management.py b/django/contrib/sites/management.py
index 3ab49e5482..d9e3a2126c 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sites/management.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sites/management.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from django.core.management.color import no_style
 
 def create_default_site(app, created_models, verbosity, db, **kwargs):
     # Only create the default sites in databases where Django created the table
-    if Site in created_models and router.allow_syncdb(db, Site) :
+    if Site in created_models and router.allow_migrate(db, Site) :
         # The default settings set SITE_ID = 1, and some tests in Django's test
         # suite rely on this value. However, if database sequences are reused
         # (e.g. in the test suite after flush/syncdb), it isn't guaranteed that
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/createcachetable.py b/django/core/management/commands/createcachetable.py
index d7ce3e93fd..27668f272d 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/createcachetable.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/createcachetable.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Command(LabelCommand):
     def handle_label(self, tablename, **options):
         db = options.get('database')
         cache = BaseDatabaseCache(tablename, {})
-        if not router.allow_syncdb(db, cache.cache_model_class):
+        if not router.allow_migrate(db, cache.cache_model_class):
             return
         connection = connections[db]
         fields = (
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py b/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py
index c5eb1b9a9e..5e440196fc 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             for model in sort_dependencies(app_list.items()):
                 if model in excluded_models:
                     continue
-                if not model._meta.proxy and router.allow_syncdb(using, model):
+                if not model._meta.proxy and router.allow_migrate(using, model):
                     if use_base_manager:
                         objects = model._base_manager
                     else:
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/flush.py b/django/core/management/commands/flush.py
index 2ced3a2d60..a6ea45ce95 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/flush.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/flush.py
@@ -96,6 +96,6 @@ Are you sure you want to do this?
         for app in models.get_apps():
             all_models.extend([
                 m for m in models.get_models(app, include_auto_created=True)
-                if router.allow_syncdb(database, m)
+                if router.allow_migrate(database, m)
             ])
         emit_post_migrate_signal(set(all_models), verbosity, interactive, database)
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
index 6856e85e45..802226f9d1 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
                 for obj in objects:
                     objects_in_fixture += 1
-                    if router.allow_syncdb(self.using, obj.object.__class__):
+                    if router.allow_migrate(self.using, obj.object.__class__):
                         loaded_objects_in_fixture += 1
                         self.models.add(obj.object.__class__)
                         try:
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/migrate.py b/django/core/management/commands/migrate.py
index cf0e40e6c7..17b5a7dfe9 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/migrate.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/migrate.py
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             (app.__name__.split('.')[-2],
                 [
                     m for m in models.get_models(app, include_auto_created=True)
-                    if router.allow_syncdb(connection.alias, m)
+                    if router.allow_migrate(connection.alias, m)
                 ])
             for app in models.get_apps() if app.__name__.split('.')[-2] in apps
         ]
diff --git a/django/db/backends/__init__.py b/django/db/backends/__init__.py
index 80e66b3ad4..7185644cc3 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/__init__.py
@@ -1243,7 +1243,7 @@ class BaseDatabaseIntrospection(object):
             for model in models.get_models(app):
                 if not model._meta.managed:
                     continue
-                if not router.allow_syncdb(self.connection.alias, model):
+                if not router.allow_migrate(self.connection.alias, model):
                     continue
                 tables.add(model._meta.db_table)
                 tables.update([f.m2m_db_table() for f in model._meta.local_many_to_many])
@@ -1263,7 +1263,7 @@ class BaseDatabaseIntrospection(object):
         all_models = []
         for app in models.get_apps():
             for model in models.get_models(app):
-                if router.allow_syncdb(self.connection.alias, model):
+                if router.allow_migrate(self.connection.alias, model):
                     all_models.append(model)
         tables = list(map(self.table_name_converter, tables))
         return set([
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ class BaseDatabaseIntrospection(object):
                     continue
                 if model._meta.swapped:
                     continue
-                if not router.allow_syncdb(self.connection.alias, model):
+                if not router.allow_migrate(self.connection.alias, model):
                     continue
                 for f in model._meta.local_fields:
                     if isinstance(f, models.AutoField):
diff --git a/django/db/utils.py b/django/db/utils.py
index 36b89d9acf..c1bce7326b 100644
--- a/django/db/utils.py
+++ b/django/db/utils.py
@@ -262,10 +262,13 @@ class ConnectionRouter(object):
                     return allow
         return obj1._state.db == obj2._state.db
 
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         for router in self.routers:
             try:
-                method = router.allow_syncdb
+                try:
+                    method = router.allow_migrate
+                except AttributeError:
+                    method = router.allow_syncdb
             except AttributeError:
                 # If the router doesn't have a method, skip to the next one.
                 pass
diff --git a/docs/internals/deprecation.txt b/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
index 7fb7ec7cad..25d54d5269 100644
--- a/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
+++ b/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
@@ -414,12 +414,17 @@ these changes.
 
 * ``django.utils.unittest`` will be removed.
 
+* The ``syncdb`` command will be removed.
+
 * ``django.db.models.signals.pre_syncdb`` and
   ``django.db.models.signals.post_syncdb`` will be removed, and
   ``django.db.models.signals.pre_migrate`` and
   ``django.db.models.signals.post_migrate`` will lose their
   ``create_models`` and ``created_models`` arguments.
 
+* ``allow_syncdb`` on database routers will no longer automatically become
+  ``allow_migrate``.
+
 2.0
 ---
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.7.txt b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
index 5bd462b4a8..df2b10d18c 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.7.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ but a few of the key features are:
   :data:`~django.db.models.signals.post_migrate` respectively. The
   ``create_models``/``created_models`` argument has also been deprecated.
 
-* Routers something something.
+* The ``allow_syncdb`` method on database routers is now called ``allow_migrate``,
+  but still performs the same function. Routers with ``allow_syncdb`` methods
+  will still work, but that method name is deprecated and you should change
+  it as soon as possible (nothing more than renaming is required).
 
 Admin shortcuts support time zones
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/docs/topics/cache.txt b/docs/topics/cache.txt
index 2352770bad..ea23943c81 100644
--- a/docs/topics/cache.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/cache.txt
@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@ operations to ``cache_slave``, and all write operations to
                 return 'cache_master'
             return None
 
-        def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
-            "Only synchronize the cache model on master"
+        def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
+            "Only install the cache model on master"
             if model._meta.app_label in ('django_cache',):
                 return db == 'cache_master'
             return None
diff --git a/docs/topics/db/multi-db.txt b/docs/topics/db/multi-db.txt
index ac329cc4fc..6c74fb944d 100644
--- a/docs/topics/db/multi-db.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/db/multi-db.txt
@@ -155,14 +155,17 @@ A database Router is a class that provides up to four methods:
     used by foreign key and many to many operations to determine if a
     relation should be allowed between two objects.
 
-.. method:: allow_syncdb(db, model)
+.. method:: allow_migrate(db, model)
 
-    Determine if the ``model`` should be synchronized onto the
+    Determine if the ``model`` should have tables/indexes created in the
     database with alias ``db``. Return True if the model should be
-    synchronized, False if it should not be synchronized, or None if
+    migrated, False if it should not be migrated, or None if
     the router has no opinion. This method can be used to determine
     the availability of a model on a given database.
 
+    Note that if this returns ``True`` for an app with migrations but
+    ``False`` for an app those migrations depend on, Django will error.
+
 A router doesn't have to provide *all* these methods -- it may omit one
 or more of them. If one of the methods is omitted, Django will skip
 that router when performing the relevant check.
@@ -288,7 +291,7 @@ send queries for the ``auth`` app to ``auth_db``::
                return True
             return None
 
-        def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+        def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
             """
             Make sure the auth app only appears in the 'auth_db'
             database.
@@ -328,7 +331,7 @@ from::
                 return True
             return None
 
-        def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+        def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
             """
             All non-auth models end up in this pool.
             """
@@ -347,7 +350,7 @@ be queried in the order the are listed in the
 result, decisions concerning the models in ``auth`` are processed
 before any other decision is made. If the :setting:`DATABASE_ROUTERS`
 setting listed the two routers in the other order,
-``MasterSlaveRouter.allow_syncdb()`` would be processed first. The
+``MasterSlaveRouter.allow_migrate()`` would be processed first. The
 catch-all nature of the MasterSlaveRouter implementation would mean
 that all models would be available on all databases.
 
diff --git a/tests/cache/tests.py b/tests/cache/tests.py
index bccac6b5a8..5cf199794c 100644
--- a/tests/cache/tests.py
+++ b/tests/cache/tests.py
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ class DBCacheRouter(object):
         if model._meta.app_label == 'django_cache':
             return 'other'
 
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         if model._meta.app_label == 'django_cache':
             return db == 'other'
 
diff --git a/tests/multiple_database/tests.py b/tests/multiple_database/tests.py
index 12a6379ca0..e65fa4e19d 100644
--- a/tests/multiple_database/tests.py
+++ b/tests/multiple_database/tests.py
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ class TestRouter(object):
     def allow_relation(self, obj1, obj2, **hints):
         return obj1._state.db in ('default', 'other') and obj2._state.db in ('default', 'other')
 
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         return True
 
 class AuthRouter(object):
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ class AuthRouter(object):
             return True
         return None
 
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         "Make sure the auth app only appears on the 'other' db"
         if db == 'other':
             return model._meta.app_label == 'auth'
@@ -1022,30 +1022,30 @@ class RouterTestCase(TestCase):
     def test_syncdb_selection(self):
         "Synchronization behavior is predictable"
 
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', Book))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', Book))
 
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('other', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('other', Book))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('other', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('other', Book))
 
         # Add the auth router to the chain.
         # TestRouter is a universal synchronizer, so it should have no effect.
         router.routers = [TestRouter(), AuthRouter()]
 
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', Book))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', Book))
 
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('other', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('other', Book))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('other', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('other', Book))
 
         # Now check what happens if the router order is the other way around
         router.routers = [AuthRouter(), TestRouter()]
 
-        self.assertFalse(router.allow_syncdb('default', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', Book))
+        self.assertFalse(router.allow_migrate('default', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', Book))
 
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('other', User))
-        self.assertFalse(router.allow_syncdb('other', Book))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('other', User))
+        self.assertFalse(router.allow_migrate('other', Book))
 
     def test_partial_router(self):
         "A router can choose to implement a subset of methods"
@@ -1062,8 +1062,8 @@ class RouterTestCase(TestCase):
 
         self.assertTrue(router.allow_relation(dive, dive))
 
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', Book))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', Book))
 
         router.routers = [WriteRouter(), AuthRouter(), TestRouter()]
 
@@ -1075,8 +1075,8 @@ class RouterTestCase(TestCase):
 
         self.assertTrue(router.allow_relation(dive, dive))
 
-        self.assertFalse(router.allow_syncdb('default', User))
-        self.assertTrue(router.allow_syncdb('default', Book))
+        self.assertFalse(router.allow_migrate('default', User))
+        self.assertTrue(router.allow_migrate('default', Book))
 
 
     def test_database_routing(self):
@@ -1607,12 +1607,12 @@ class AuthTestCase(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(User.objects.using('other').count(), 1)
 
     def test_dumpdata(self):
-        "Check that dumpdata honors allow_syncdb restrictions on the router"
+        "Check that dumpdata honors allow_migrate restrictions on the router"
         User.objects.create_user('alice', 'alice@example.com')
         User.objects.db_manager('default').create_user('bob', 'bob@example.com')
 
         # Check that dumping the default database doesn't try to include auth
-        # because allow_syncdb prohibits auth on default
+        # because allow_migrate prohibits auth on default
         new_io = StringIO()
         management.call_command('dumpdata', 'auth', format='json', database='default', stdout=new_io)
         command_output = new_io.getvalue().strip()
@@ -1625,10 +1625,10 @@ class AuthTestCase(TestCase):
         self.assertTrue('"email": "alice@example.com"' in command_output)
 
 class AntiPetRouter(object):
-    # A router that only expresses an opinion on syncdb,
+    # A router that only expresses an opinion on migrate,
     # passing pets to the 'other' database
 
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         "Make sure the auth app only appears on the 'other' db"
         if db == 'other':
             return model._meta.object_name == 'Pet'
@@ -1917,7 +1917,7 @@ class RouterModelArgumentTestCase(TestCase):
 
 
 class SyncOnlyDefaultDatabaseRouter(object):
-    def allow_syncdb(self, db, model):
+    def allow_migrate(self, db, model):
         return db == DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS