diff --git a/db/column_family_test.cc b/db/column_family_test.cc
index 5f7ff48a8c..44318e2d63 100644
--- a/db/column_family_test.cc
+++ b/db/column_family_test.cc
@@ -970,6 +970,16 @@ TEST(ColumnFamilyTest, FlushStaleColumnFamilies) {
   Close();
 }
 
+TEST(ColumnFamilyTest, CreateMissingColumnFamilies) {
+  Status s = TryOpen({"one", "two"});
+  ASSERT_TRUE(!s.ok());
+  db_options_.create_missing_column_families = true;
+  s = TryOpen({"default", "one", "two"});
+  printf("%s\n", s.ToString().c_str());
+  ASSERT_TRUE(s.ok());
+  Close();
+}
+
 }  // namespace rocksdb
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
diff --git a/db/db_impl.cc b/db/db_impl.cc
index 8c9c0fb191..ec109a5820 100644
--- a/db/db_impl.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl.cc
@@ -4559,12 +4559,26 @@ Status DB::Open(const DBOptions& db_options, const std::string& dbname,
       for (auto cf : column_families) {
         auto cfd =
             impl->versions_->GetColumnFamilySet()->GetColumnFamily(cf.name);
-        if (cfd == nullptr) {
-          s = Status::InvalidArgument("Column family not found: ", cf.name);
-          break;
+        if (cfd != nullptr) {
+          handles->push_back(
+              new ColumnFamilyHandleImpl(cfd, impl, &impl->mutex_));
+        } else {
+          if (db_options.create_missing_column_families) {
+            // missing column family, create it
+            ColumnFamilyHandle* handle;
+            impl->mutex_.Unlock();
+            s = impl->CreateColumnFamily(cf.options, cf.name, &handle);
+            impl->mutex_.Lock();
+            if (s.ok()) {
+              handles->push_back(handle);
+            } else {
+              break;
+            }
+          } else {
+            s = Status::InvalidArgument("Column family not found: ", cf.name);
+            break;
+          }
         }
-        handles->push_back(
-            new ColumnFamilyHandleImpl(cfd, impl, &impl->mutex_));
       }
     }
     if (s.ok()) {
diff --git a/include/rocksdb/options.h b/include/rocksdb/options.h
index ded76a3ab5..d8e2507217 100644
--- a/include/rocksdb/options.h
+++ b/include/rocksdb/options.h
@@ -595,6 +595,10 @@ struct DBOptions {
   // Default: false
   bool create_if_missing;
 
+  // If true, missing column families will be automatically created.
+  // Default: false
+  bool create_missing_column_families;
+
   // If true, an error is raised if the database already exists.
   // Default: false
   bool error_if_exists;
diff --git a/tools/db_stress.cc b/tools/db_stress.cc
index 7e3101c07a..e8f3dee71d 100644
--- a/tools/db_stress.cc
+++ b/tools/db_stress.cc
@@ -1677,19 +1677,15 @@ class StressTest {
         }
         cf_descriptors.emplace_back(name, ColumnFamilyOptions(options_));
       }
+      while (cf_descriptors.size() < (size_t)FLAGS_column_families) {
+        std::string name = std::to_string(new_column_family_name_.load());
+        new_column_family_name_++;
+        cf_descriptors.emplace_back(name, ColumnFamilyOptions(options_));
+        column_family_names_.push_back(name);
+      }
+      options_.create_missing_column_families = true;
       s = DB::Open(DBOptions(options_), FLAGS_db, cf_descriptors,
                    &column_families_, &db_);
-      if (s.ok()) {
-        while (s.ok() &&
-               column_families_.size() < (size_t)FLAGS_column_families) {
-          ColumnFamilyHandle* cf = nullptr;
-          std::string name = std::to_string(new_column_family_name_.load());
-          new_column_family_name_++;
-          s = db_->CreateColumnFamily(ColumnFamilyOptions(options_), name, &cf);
-          column_families_.push_back(cf);
-          column_family_names_.push_back(name);
-        }
-      }
       assert(!s.ok() || column_families_.size() ==
                             static_cast<size_t>(FLAGS_column_families));
     } else {
diff --git a/util/options.cc b/util/options.cc
index c4d3e5e986..8fcc73a4ed 100644
--- a/util/options.cc
+++ b/util/options.cc
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ ColumnFamilyOptions::ColumnFamilyOptions(const Options& options)
 
 DBOptions::DBOptions()
     : create_if_missing(false),
+      create_missing_column_families(false),
       error_if_exists(false),
       paranoid_checks(true),
       env(Env::Default()),
@@ -197,6 +198,7 @@ DBOptions::DBOptions()
 
 DBOptions::DBOptions(const Options& options)
     : create_if_missing(options.create_if_missing),
+      create_missing_column_families(options.create_missing_column_families),
       error_if_exists(options.error_if_exists),
       paranoid_checks(options.paranoid_checks),
       env(options.env),
@@ -259,9 +261,11 @@ void DBOptions::Dump(Logger* log) const {
     Log(log, "       Options.allow_os_buffer: %d", allow_os_buffer);
     Log(log, "      Options.allow_mmap_reads: %d", allow_mmap_reads);
     Log(log, "     Options.allow_mmap_writes: %d", allow_mmap_writes);
+    Log(log, "         Options.create_missing_column_families: %d",
+        create_missing_column_families);
     Log(log, "                             Options.db_log_dir: %s",
         db_log_dir.c_str());
-    Log(log, "                             Options.wal_dir: %s",
+    Log(log, "                                Options.wal_dir: %s",
         wal_dir.c_str());
     Log(log, "               Options.table_cache_numshardbits: %d",
         table_cache_numshardbits);