diff --git a/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcAccessor.java b/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcAccessor.java
index 49772c6a4c..070ada3a30 100644
--- a/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcAccessor.java
+++ b/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcAccessor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2020 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
+import org.springframework.core.SpringProperties;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
@@ -34,11 +35,19 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  * See {@link org.springframework.jdbc.core.JdbcTemplate}.
  *
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
+ * @author Sebastien Deleuze
  * @since 28.11.2003
  * @see org.springframework.jdbc.core.JdbcTemplate
  */
 public abstract class JdbcAccessor implements InitializingBean {
 
+	/**
+	 * Boolean flag controlled by a {@code spring.xml.ignore} system property that instructs Spring to
+	 * ignore XML, i.e. to not initialize the XML-related infrastructure.
+	 * <p>The default is "false".
+	 */
+	private static final boolean shouldIgnoreXml = SpringProperties.getFlag("spring.xml.ignore");
+
 	/** Logger available to subclasses. */
 	protected final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
 
@@ -87,7 +96,9 @@ public abstract class JdbcAccessor implements InitializingBean {
 	 * @see java.sql.DatabaseMetaData#getDatabaseProductName()
 	 */
 	public void setDatabaseProductName(String dbName) {
-		this.exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(dbName);
+		if (!shouldIgnoreXml) {
+			this.exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(dbName);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -118,7 +129,10 @@ public abstract class JdbcAccessor implements InitializingBean {
 			exceptionTranslator = this.exceptionTranslator;
 			if (exceptionTranslator == null) {
 				DataSource dataSource = getDataSource();
-				if (dataSource != null) {
+				if (shouldIgnoreXml) {
+					exceptionTranslator = new SQLExceptionSubclassTranslator();
+				}
+				else if (dataSource != null) {
 					exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(dataSource);
 				}
 				else {
diff --git a/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcTransactionManager.java b/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcTransactionManager.java
index aa48eb8d0e..b1cab0b75d 100644
--- a/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcTransactionManager.java
+++ b/spring-jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/support/JdbcTransactionManager.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.sql.SQLException;
 
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
+import org.springframework.core.SpringProperties;
 import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException;
 import org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceTransactionManager;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
  * may also throw such exceptions in their {@code flush} and {@code beforeCommit} phases.
  *
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
+ * @author Sebastien Deleuze
  * @since 5.3
  * @see DataSourceTransactionManager
  * @see #setDataSource
@@ -51,6 +53,14 @@ import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 @SuppressWarnings("serial")
 public class JdbcTransactionManager extends DataSourceTransactionManager {
 
+	/**
+	 * Boolean flag controlled by a {@code spring.xml.ignore} system property that instructs Spring to
+	 * ignore XML, i.e. to not initialize the XML-related infrastructure.
+	 * <p>The default is "false".
+	 */
+	private static final boolean shouldIgnoreXml = SpringProperties.getFlag("spring.xml.ignore");
+
+
 	@Nullable
 	private volatile SQLExceptionTranslator exceptionTranslator;
 
@@ -87,7 +97,9 @@ public class JdbcTransactionManager extends DataSourceTransactionManager {
 	 * @see java.sql.DatabaseMetaData#getDatabaseProductName()
 	 */
 	public void setDatabaseProductName(String dbName) {
-		this.exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(dbName);
+		if (!shouldIgnoreXml) {
+			this.exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(dbName);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -116,7 +128,12 @@ public class JdbcTransactionManager extends DataSourceTransactionManager {
 		synchronized (this) {
 			exceptionTranslator = this.exceptionTranslator;
 			if (exceptionTranslator == null) {
-				exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(obtainDataSource());
+				if (shouldIgnoreXml) {
+					exceptionTranslator = new SQLExceptionSubclassTranslator();
+				}
+				else {
+					exceptionTranslator = new SQLErrorCodeSQLExceptionTranslator(obtainDataSource());
+				}
 				this.exceptionTranslator = exceptionTranslator;
 			}
 			return exceptionTranslator;