Index: activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb
===================================================================
--- activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb	(revision 4017)
+++ activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb	(working copy)
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@
     ActiveRecord::Base.silence do
       fixtures_map = {}
       fixtures = table_names.map do |table_name|
-        fixtures_map[table_name] = Fixtures.new(connection, File.split(table_name.to_s).last, class_names[table_name.to_sym], File.join(fixtures_directory, table_name.to_s))
+        fixtures_map[table_name] = Fixtures.new(connection, table_name, class_names, File.join(fixtures_directory, table_name.to_s))
       end               
       all_loaded_fixtures.merge! fixtures_map  
 
@@ -269,16 +269,26 @@
   end
 
 
-  attr_reader :table_name
+  attr_reader :table_name, :fixture_name
 
-  def initialize(connection, table_name, class_name, fixture_path, file_filter = DEFAULT_FILTER_RE)
+  def initialize(connection, table_name, class_names, fixture_path, file_filter = DEFAULT_FILTER_RE)
     @connection, @table_name, @fixture_path, @file_filter = connection, table_name, fixture_path, file_filter
-    @class_name = class_name || 
+    @class_name = class_names[table_name.to_sym] || 
                   (ActiveRecord::Base.pluralize_table_names ? @table_name.singularize.camelize : @table_name.camelize)
+    @fixture_name = table_name
+    @table_name = table_name_for(table_name, class_names)
     @table_name = ActiveRecord::Base.table_name_prefix + @table_name + ActiveRecord::Base.table_name_suffix
     read_fixture_files
   end
 
+  def table_name_for(table_name, fixture_classes = {})
+    if klass = fixture_classes[table_name.to_sym] 
+      klass.table_name
+    else
+      File.split(table_name.to_s).last
+    end
+  end
+
   def delete_existing_fixtures
     @connection.delete "DELETE FROM #{@table_name}", 'Fixture Delete'
   end
@@ -452,6 +462,7 @@
         table_names = table_names.flatten.map { |n| n.to_s }
         self.fixture_table_names |= table_names
         require_fixture_classes(table_names)
+        determine_fixture_class_names(table_names)
         setup_fixture_accessors(table_names)
       end
 
@@ -467,6 +478,16 @@
         end
       end
 
+      def self.determine_fixture_class_names(table_names=nil)
+        (table_names || fixture_table_names).each do |t| 
+          unless self.fixture_class_names[t.to_sym]
+            options = {}
+            options[t.to_sym] = t.classify.constantize rescue nil
+            set_fixture_class(options)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+      
       def self.setup_fixture_accessors(table_names=nil)
         (table_names || fixture_table_names).each do |table_name|
           table_name = table_name.to_s.tr('.','_')
@@ -565,9 +586,9 @@
           fixtures = Fixtures.create_fixtures(fixture_path, fixture_table_names, fixture_class_names)
           unless fixtures.nil?
             if fixtures.instance_of?(Fixtures)
-              @loaded_fixtures[fixtures.table_name] = fixtures
+              @loaded_fixtures[fixtures.fixture_name] = fixtures
             else
-              fixtures.each { |f| @loaded_fixtures[f.table_name] = f }
+              fixtures.each { |f| @loaded_fixtures[f.fixture_name] = f }
             end
           end
         end
Index: activerecord/test/fixtures/clients.yml
===================================================================
--- activerecord/test/fixtures/clients.yml	(revision 0)
+++ activerecord/test/fixtures/clients.yml	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+first_client:
+  id: 10
+  type: Client
+  firm_id: 1
+  client_of: 2
+  name: Summit
+  ruby_type: Client
+
+second_client:
+  id: 11
+  type: Client
+  firm_id: 1
+  client_of: 1
+  name: Microsoft
+  ruby_type: Client
+
+another_client:
+  id: 12
+  type: Client
+  firm_id: 4
+  client_of: 4
+  name: Ex Nihilo
+  ruby_type: Client
Index: activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb
===================================================================
--- activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb	(revision 4017)
+++ activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb	(working copy)
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   self.use_instantiated_fixtures = true
   self.use_transactional_fixtures = false
 
-  fixtures :topics, :developers, :accounts, :tasks, :categories, :funny_jokes
+  fixtures :topics, :developers, :accounts, :tasks, :categories, :funny_jokes, :clients
 
   FIXTURES = %w( accounts companies customers
                  developers developers_projects entrants
@@ -326,12 +326,17 @@
 end
 
 class SetTableNameFixturesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
-  set_fixture_class :funny_jokes => 'Joke'
-  fixtures :funny_jokes
+  set_fixture_class :funny_jokes => Joke
+  fixtures :funny_jokes, :clients
   
   def test_table_method
     assert_kind_of Joke, funny_jokes(:a_joke)
   end
+
+  def test_fixture_with_inheritance
+    assert_kind_of Client, clients(:first_client)
+    assert_equal('companies', Client.table_name)
+  end
 end
 
 class InvalidTableNameFixturesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase