diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/base.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/base.py
index 25ca0da204..d237efc114 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/base.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/base.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from django.contrib.gis.db.backends.base import BaseSpatialFeatures
 from django.contrib.gis.db.backends.mysql.creation import MySQLCreation
 from django.contrib.gis.db.backends.mysql.introspection import MySQLIntrospection
 from django.contrib.gis.db.backends.mysql.operations import MySQLOperations
+from django.contrib.gis.db.backends.mysql.schema import MySQLGISSchemaEditor
 
 
 class DatabaseFeatures(BaseSpatialFeatures, MySQLDatabaseFeatures):
@@ -25,3 +26,7 @@ class DatabaseWrapper(MySQLDatabaseWrapper):
         self.creation = MySQLCreation(self)
         self.ops = MySQLOperations(self)
         self.introspection = MySQLIntrospection(self)
+
+    def schema_editor(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        "Returns a new instance of this backend's SchemaEditor"
+        return MySQLGISSchemaEditor(self, *args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py
index aae1c1460c..364cdeecfe 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py
@@ -31,3 +31,11 @@ class MySQLIntrospection(DatabaseIntrospection):
             cursor.close()
 
         return field_type, field_params
+
+    def supports_spatial_index(self, cursor, table_name):
+        # Supported with MyISAM, or InnoDB on MySQL 5.7.5+
+        storage_engine = self.get_storage_engine(cursor, table_name)
+        return (
+            (storage_engine == 'InnoDB' and self.connection.mysql_version >= (5, 7, 5)) or
+            storage_engine == 'MyISAM'
+        )
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/schema.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/schema.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3979182c19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/mysql/schema.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import logging
+
+from django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields import GeometryField
+from django.db.utils import OperationalError
+from django.db.backends.mysql.schema import DatabaseSchemaEditor
+
+logger = logging.getLogger('django.contrib.gis')
+
+
+class MySQLGISSchemaEditor(DatabaseSchemaEditor):
+    sql_add_spatial_index = 'CREATE SPATIAL INDEX %(index)s ON %(table)s(%(column)s)'
+    sql_drop_spatial_index = 'DROP INDEX %(index)s ON %(table)s'
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super(MySQLGISSchemaEditor, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.geometry_sql = []
+
+    def column_sql(self, model, field, include_default=False):
+        column_sql = super(MySQLGISSchemaEditor, self).column_sql(model, field, include_default)
+        # MySQL doesn't support spatial indexes on NULL columns
+        if isinstance(field, GeometryField) and field.spatial_index and not field.null:
+            qn = self.connection.ops.quote_name
+            db_table = model._meta.db_table
+            self.geometry_sql.append(
+                self.sql_add_spatial_index % {
+                    'index': qn(self._create_spatial_index_name(model, field)),
+                    'table': qn(db_table),
+                    'column': qn(field.column),
+                }
+            )
+        return column_sql
+
+    def create_model(self, model):
+        super(MySQLGISSchemaEditor, self).create_model(model)
+        self.create_spatial_indexes()
+
+    def add_field(self, model, field):
+        super(MySQLGISSchemaEditor, self).add_field(model, field)
+        self.create_spatial_indexes()
+
+    def remove_field(self, model, field):
+        if isinstance(field, GeometryField) and field.spatial_index:
+            qn = self.connection.ops.quote_name
+            sql = self.sql_drop_spatial_index % {
+                'index': qn(self._create_spatial_index_name(model, field)),
+                'table': qn(model._meta.db_table),
+            }
+            try:
+                self.execute(sql)
+            except OperationalError:
+                logger.error(
+                    "Couldn't remove spatial index: %s (may be expected "
+                    "if your storage engine doesn't support them)." % sql
+                )
+
+        super(MySQLGISSchemaEditor, self).remove_field(model, field)
+
+    def _create_spatial_index_name(self, model, field):
+        return '%s_%s_id' % (model._meta.db_table, field.column)
+
+    def create_spatial_indexes(self):
+        for sql in self.geometry_sql:
+            try:
+                self.execute(sql)
+            except OperationalError:
+                logger.error(
+                    "Cannot create SPATIAL INDEX %s. Only MyISAM and (as of "
+                    "MySQL 5.7.5) InnoDB support them." % sql
+                )
+        self.geometry_sql = []
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/introspection.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/introspection.py
index 9e1616c514..b81a2e4089 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/introspection.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/introspection.py
@@ -53,3 +53,12 @@ class SpatiaLiteIntrospection(DatabaseIntrospection):
             cursor.close()
 
         return field_type, field_params
+
+    def get_indexes(self, cursor, table_name):
+        indexes = super(SpatiaLiteIntrospection, self).get_indexes(cursor, table_name)
+        cursor.execute('SELECT f_geometry_column '
+                       'FROM geometry_columns '
+                       'WHERE f_table_name=%s AND spatial_index_enabled=1', (table_name,))
+        for row in cursor.fetchall():
+            indexes[row[0]] = {'primary_key': False, 'unique': False}
+        return indexes
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/migrations/0001_initial.py b/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/migrations/0001_initial.py
index a808e49444..f5d1aade6d 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/migrations/0001_initial.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
             fields=[
                 ('id', models.AutoField(verbose_name='ID', serialize=False, auto_created=True, primary_key=True)),
                 ('name', models.CharField(max_length=100, unique=True)),
-                ('geom', django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields.MultiPolygonField(srid=4326, null=True)),
+                ('geom', django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields.MultiPolygonField(srid=4326)),
             ],
             options={
             },
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
                 ('neighborhood', models.ForeignKey(to='gis.Neighborhood', to_field='id', null=True)),
                 ('address', models.CharField(max_length=100)),
                 ('zip_code', models.IntegerField(null=True, blank=True)),
-                ('geom', django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields.PointField(srid=4326, null=True, geography=True)),
+                ('geom', django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields.PointField(srid=4326, geography=True)),
             ],
             options={
             },
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/test_operations.py b/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/test_operations.py
index d44c22c134..32072eec86 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/test_operations.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/tests/gis_migrations/test_operations.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+from django.contrib.gis.tests.utils import mysql
 from django.db import connection, migrations, models
 from django.db.migrations.migration import Migration
 from django.db.migrations.state import ProjectState
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ class OperationTests(TransactionTestCase):
             [
                 ("id", models.AutoField(primary_key=True)),
                 ('name', models.CharField(max_length=100, unique=True)),
-                ('geom', fields.MultiPolygonField(srid=4326, null=True)),
+                ('geom', fields.MultiPolygonField(srid=4326)),
             ],
         )]
         return self.apply_operations('gis', ProjectState(), operations)
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ class OperationTests(TransactionTestCase):
         operation = migrations.AddField(
             "Neighborhood",
             "path",
-            fields.LineStringField(srid=4326, null=True, blank=True),
+            fields.LineStringField(srid=4326),
         )
         new_state = project_state.clone()
         operation.state_forwards("gis", new_state)
@@ -74,6 +75,11 @@ class OperationTests(TransactionTestCase):
                 2
             )
 
+        if self.has_spatial_indexes:
+            with connection.cursor() as cursor:
+                indexes = connection.introspection.get_indexes(cursor, "gis_neighborhood")
+            self.assertIn('path', indexes)
+
     def test_remove_gis_field(self):
         """
         Tests the RemoveField operation with a GIS-enabled column.
@@ -93,3 +99,20 @@ class OperationTests(TransactionTestCase):
                 GeometryColumns.objects.filter(**{GeometryColumns.table_name_col(): "gis_neighborhood"}).count(),
                 0
             )
+
+    def test_create_model_spatial_index(self):
+        self.current_state = self.set_up_test_model()
+
+        if not self.has_spatial_indexes:
+            self.skipTest("No support for Spatial indexes")
+
+        with connection.cursor() as cursor:
+            indexes = connection.introspection.get_indexes(cursor, "gis_neighborhood")
+        self.assertIn('geom', indexes)
+
+    @property
+    def has_spatial_indexes(self):
+        if mysql:
+            with connection.cursor() as cursor:
+                return connection.introspection.supports_spatial_index(cursor, "gis_neighborhood")
+        return True
diff --git a/django/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py b/django/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py
index 8b7ff3c1e5..47bb92859a 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/mysql/introspection.py
@@ -127,6 +127,16 @@ class DatabaseIntrospection(BaseDatabaseIntrospection):
                 indexes[row[4]]['unique'] = True
         return indexes
 
+    def get_storage_engine(self, cursor, table_name):
+        """
+        Retrieves the storage engine for a given table.
+        """
+        cursor.execute(
+            "SELECT engine "
+            "FROM information_schema.tables "
+            "WHERE table_name = %s", [table_name])
+        return cursor.fetchone()[0]
+
     def get_constraints(self, cursor, table_name):
         """
         Retrieves any constraints or keys (unique, pk, fk, check, index) across one or more columns.
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.7.1.txt b/docs/releases/1.7.1.txt
index a43e1efa8c..a19e19d03b 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.7.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.7.1.txt
@@ -73,3 +73,6 @@ Bugfixes
 
 * Fixed bug in migrations that prevented foreign key constraints to unmanaged
   models with a custom primary key (:ticket:`23415`).
+
+* Added ``SchemaEditor`` for MySQL GIS backend so that spatial indexes will be
+  created for apps with migrations (:ticket:`23538`).