diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/related.py b/django/db/models/fields/related.py
index 80b8e63211..ff820ae498 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/related.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/related.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from .reverse_related import (
 RECURSIVE_RELATIONSHIP_CONSTANT = 'self'
 
 
-def resolve_relation(scope_model, relation):
+def resolve_relation(scope_model, relation, resolve_recursive_relationship=True):
     """
     Transform relation into a model or fully-qualified model string of the form
     "app_label.ModelName", relative to scope_model.
@@ -54,12 +54,11 @@ def resolve_relation(scope_model, relation):
     """
     # Check for recursive relations
     if relation == RECURSIVE_RELATIONSHIP_CONSTANT:
-        relation = scope_model
-
+        if resolve_recursive_relationship:
+            relation = scope_model
     # Look for an "app.Model" relation
-    if isinstance(relation, six.string_types):
-        if "." not in relation:
-            relation = "%s.%s" % (scope_model._meta.app_label, relation)
+    elif isinstance(relation, six.string_types) and '.' not in relation:
+        relation = "%s.%s" % (scope_model._meta.app_label, relation)
 
     return relation
 
@@ -306,6 +305,11 @@ class RelatedField(Field):
                 field.remote_field.model = related
                 field.do_related_class(related, model)
             lazy_related_operation(resolve_related_class, cls, self.remote_field.model, field=self)
+        else:
+            # Bind a lazy reference to the app in which the model is defined.
+            self.remote_field.model = resolve_relation(
+                cls, self.remote_field.model, resolve_recursive_relationship=False
+            )
 
     def get_forward_related_filter(self, obj):
         """
@@ -1577,6 +1581,11 @@ class ManyToManyField(RelatedField):
                 lazy_related_operation(resolve_through_model, cls, self.remote_field.through, field=self)
             elif not cls._meta.swapped:
                 self.remote_field.through = create_many_to_many_intermediary_model(self, cls)
+        else:
+            # Bind a lazy reference to the app in which the model is defined.
+            self.remote_field.through = resolve_relation(
+                cls, self.remote_field.through, resolve_recursive_relationship=False
+            )
 
         # Add the descriptor for the m2m relation.
         setattr(cls, self.name, ManyToManyDescriptor(self.remote_field, reverse=False))
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.9.2.txt b/docs/releases/1.9.2.txt
index d7857052ad..e68a1b5cf9 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.9.2.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.9.2.txt
@@ -30,3 +30,8 @@ Bugfixes
   ``db_index=True`` or ``unique=True`` to a ``CharField`` or ``TextField`` that
   already had the other specified, or when removing one of them from a field
   that had both (:ticket:`26034`).
+
+* Fixed a regression where defining a relation on an abstract model's field
+  using a string model name without an app_label no longer resolved that
+  reference to the abstract model's app if using that model in another
+  application (:ticket`25858`).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/model_fields/tests.py b/tests/model_fields/tests.py
index 34793eacdb..5aafdb2844 100644
--- a/tests/model_fields/tests.py
+++ b/tests/model_fields/tests.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from decimal import Decimal
 
 from django import forms, test
 from django.apps import apps
+from django.apps.registry import Apps
 from django.core import checks, validators
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.db import IntegrityError, connection, models, transaction
@@ -247,6 +248,28 @@ class ForeignKeyTests(test.TestCase):
             "Pending lookup added for a foreign key on an abstract model"
         )
 
+    def test_abstract_model_app_relative_foreign_key(self):
+        test_apps = Apps(['model_fields', 'model_fields.tests'])
+
+        class Refered(models.Model):
+            class Meta:
+                apps = test_apps
+                app_label = 'model_fields'
+
+        class AbstractReferent(models.Model):
+            reference = models.ForeignKey('Refered', on_delete=models.CASCADE)
+
+            class Meta:
+                app_label = 'model_fields'
+                abstract = True
+
+        class ConcreteReferent(AbstractReferent):
+            class Meta:
+                apps = test_apps
+                app_label = 'tests'
+
+        self.assertEqual(ConcreteReferent._meta.get_field('reference').related_model, Refered)
+
 
 class ManyToManyFieldTests(test.SimpleTestCase):
     def test_abstract_model_pending_operations(self):
@@ -269,6 +292,37 @@ class ManyToManyFieldTests(test.SimpleTestCase):
             "Pending lookup added for a many-to-many field on an abstract model"
         )
 
+    def test_abstract_model_app_relative_foreign_key(self):
+        test_apps = Apps(['model_fields', 'model_fields.tests'])
+
+        class Refered(models.Model):
+            class Meta:
+                apps = test_apps
+                app_label = 'model_fields'
+
+        class Through(models.Model):
+            refered = models.ForeignKey('Refered', on_delete=models.CASCADE)
+            referent = models.ForeignKey('tests.ConcreteReferent', on_delete=models.CASCADE)
+
+            class Meta:
+                apps = test_apps
+                app_label = 'model_fields'
+
+        class AbstractReferent(models.Model):
+            reference = models.ManyToManyField('Refered', through='Through')
+
+            class Meta:
+                app_label = 'model_fields'
+                abstract = True
+
+        class ConcreteReferent(AbstractReferent):
+            class Meta:
+                apps = test_apps
+                app_label = 'tests'
+
+        self.assertEqual(ConcreteReferent._meta.get_field('reference').related_model, Refered)
+        self.assertEqual(ConcreteReferent.reference.through, Through)
+
 
 class TextFieldTests(test.TestCase):
     def test_to_python(self):