diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/MetaImpl.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/MetaImpl.java
index 802f76ca35..bb94e0717d 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/MetaImpl.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/MetaImpl.java
@@ -1204,38 +1204,44 @@ final class MetaImpl extends AbstractMeta {
                     : name(defaultString(k.get(1, String.class)))
                 );
 
-                String fkName = k.get(3, String.class);
-                String pkName = k.get(4, String.class);
                 Table<Record> pkTable = (Table<Record>) lookupTable(schema, k.get(2, String.class));
-                TableField<Record, ?>[] pkFields = new TableField[v.size()];
-                TableField<Record, ?>[] fkFields = new TableField[v.size()];
 
-                for (int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++) {
-                    Record record = v.get(i);
-                    String pkFieldName = record.get(3, String.class);
-                    String fkFieldName = record.get(7, String.class);
+                // [#16782] Dangling FK references are possible in some RDBMS that allow for
+                //          temporarily deactivating FK checks, e.g. MySQL via SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=0
+                if (pkTable != null) {
+                    String fkName = k.get(3, String.class);
+                    String pkName = k.get(4, String.class);
 
-                    pkFields[i] = (TableField<Record, ?>) pkTable.field(pkFieldName);
-                    fkFields[i] = (TableField<Record, ?>)         field(fkFieldName);
+                    TableField<Record, ?>[] pkFields = new TableField[v.size()];
+                    TableField<Record, ?>[] fkFields = new TableField[v.size()];
 
-                    // [#2656] TODO: Find a more generally reusable way to perform case insensitive lookups
-                    if (pkFields[i] == null)
-                        if ((pkFields[i] = lookup(pkTable, pkFieldName)) == null)
-                            return;
+                    for (int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++) {
+                        Record record = v.get(i);
+                        String pkFieldName = record.get(3, String.class);
+                        String fkFieldName = record.get(7, String.class);
 
-                    if (fkFields[i] == null)
-                        if ((fkFields[i] = lookup(this, fkFieldName)) == null)
-                            return;
+                        pkFields[i] = (TableField<Record, ?>) pkTable.field(pkFieldName);
+                        fkFields[i] = (TableField<Record, ?>)         field(fkFieldName);
+
+                        // [#2656] TODO: Find a more generally reusable way to perform case insensitive lookups
+                        if (pkFields[i] == null)
+                            if ((pkFields[i] = lookup(pkTable, pkFieldName)) == null)
+                                return;
+
+                        if (fkFields[i] == null)
+                            if ((fkFields[i] = lookup(this, fkFieldName)) == null)
+                                return;
+                    }
+
+                    references.add(new ReferenceImpl<>(
+                        this,
+                        name(fkName),
+                        fkFields,
+                        new MetaUniqueKey(pkTable, pkName, pkFields, true), // TODO: Can we know whether it is a PK or UK?
+                        pkFields,
+                        true
+                    ));
                 }
-
-                references.add(new ReferenceImpl<>(
-                    this,
-                    name(fkName),
-                    fkFields,
-                    new MetaUniqueKey(pkTable, pkName, pkFields, true), // TODO: Can we know whether it is a PK or UK?
-                    pkFields,
-                    true
-                ));
             });
 
             return references;