diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
index fbafed3f92..ab9f7468c4 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import os
 import gzip
 import zipfile
 from optparse import make_option
+import warnings
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core import serializers
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             label_found = label_found or found
 
         if fixture_name != 'initial_data' and not label_found:
-            raise CommandError("No fixture named '%s' found." % fixture_name)
+            warnings.warn("No fixture named '%s' found." % fixture_name)
 
     def process_dir(self, fixture_dir, fixture_name, compression_formats,
                     serialization_formats):
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/tests.py b/tests/fixtures/tests.py
index 93f2438ce9..f954933046 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/tests.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures/tests.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
+import warnings
+
 from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
 from django.core import management
 from django.db import connection, IntegrityError
@@ -137,14 +139,18 @@ class FixtureLoadingTests(DumpDataAssertMixin, TestCase):
             '<Book: Music for all ages by Artist formerly known as "Prince" and Django Reinhardt>'
         ])
 
-        # Loading a fixture that doesn't exist results in an error
-        with self.assertRaises(management.CommandError):
+        # Loading a fixture that doesn't exist emits a warning
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
             management.call_command('loaddata', 'unknown.json', verbosity=0,
                 commit=False)
+        self.assertEqual(len(w), 1)
+        self.assertTrue(w[0].message, "No fixture named 'unknown' found.")
 
         # An attempt to load a nonexistent 'initial_data' fixture isn't an error
-        management.call_command('loaddata', 'initial_data.json', verbosity=0,
-            commit=False)
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+            management.call_command('loaddata', 'initial_data.json', verbosity=0,
+                commit=False)
+        self.assertEqual(len(w), 0)
 
         # object list is unaffected
         self.assertQuerysetEqual(Article.objects.all(), [
@@ -279,10 +285,10 @@ class FixtureLoadingTests(DumpDataAssertMixin, TestCase):
 
     def test_unmatched_identifier_loading(self):
         # Try to load db fixture 3. This won't load because the database identifier doesn't match
-        with self.assertRaises(management.CommandError):
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True):
             management.call_command('loaddata', 'db_fixture_3', verbosity=0, commit=False)
 
-        with self.assertRaises(management.CommandError):
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True):
             management.call_command('loaddata', 'db_fixture_3', verbosity=0, using='default', commit=False)
         self.assertQuerysetEqual(Article.objects.all(), [])
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_model_package/tests.py b/tests/fixtures_model_package/tests.py
index c250f647ce..af6b059c66 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures_model_package/tests.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures_model_package/tests.py
@@ -100,7 +100,10 @@ class FixtureTestCase(TestCase):
         )
 
         # Load a fixture that doesn't exist
-        management.call_command("loaddata", "unknown.json", verbosity=0, commit=False)
+        import warnings
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True):
+            management.call_command("loaddata", "unknown.json", verbosity=0, commit=False)
+
         self.assertQuerysetEqual(
             Article.objects.all(), [
                 "Django conquers world!",
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py b/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
index df84d77a3f..97ad6c326a 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
@@ -441,7 +441,8 @@ class TestFixtures(TestCase):
 
     def test_loaddata_not_existant_fixture_file(self):
         stdout_output = StringIO()
-        with self.assertRaises(management.CommandError):
+        import warnings
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True):
             management.call_command(
                 'loaddata',
                 'this_fixture_doesnt_exist',