diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 499401e601..3bb635dda9 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ phpMyAdmin - ChangeLog
 + rfe #1566 Change value of "Number of rows:" when "Show all" is checked
 + rfe       Focus console by clicking on white space
 + rfe 1507  Part 1: Cycle through console history with keyboard up/down arrows
++ rfe #1579 Default to primary key when adding relation
 
 4.3.3.0 (not yet released)
 - bug       The "Recently used tables" setting should be with Nav panel
diff --git a/js/tbl_relation.js b/js/tbl_relation.js
index 8858fabf41..fd35443d40 100644
--- a/js/tbl_relation.js
+++ b/js/tbl_relation.js
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ function show_hide_clauses($thisDropdown)
 /**
  * Sets dropdown options to values
  */
-function setDropdownValues($dropdown, values) {
+function setDropdownValues($dropdown, values, selectedValue) {
     $dropdown.empty();
     var optionsAsString = '';
     // add an empty string to the beginning for empty selection
     values.unshift('');
     $.each(values, function () {
-        optionsAsString += "<option value='" + this + "'>" + this + "</option>";
+        optionsAsString += "<option value='" + this + "'" + (selectedValue == this ? " selected='selected'" : "") + ">" + this + "</option>";
     });
     $dropdown.append($(optionsAsString));
 }
@@ -94,7 +94,13 @@ function getDropdownValues($dropdown) {
                     setDropdownValues($columnDd, []);
                 } else { // if a table selector
                     // set values for the column dropdown
-                    setDropdownValues($columnDd, data.columns);
+                    var primary = null;
+                    if (typeof data.primary !== 'undefined'
+                        && 1 === data.primary.length
+                    ) {
+                        primary = data.primary[0];
+                    }
+                    setDropdownValues($columnDd, data.columns, primary);
                 }
             } else {
                 PMA_ajaxShowMessage(data.error, false);
diff --git a/libraries/tbl_relation.lib.php b/libraries/tbl_relation.lib.php
index be5edfde1c..2381a9d53e 100644
--- a/libraries/tbl_relation.lib.php
+++ b/libraries/tbl_relation.lib.php
@@ -722,6 +722,15 @@ function PMA_sendHtmlForColumnDropdownList()
         $columns[] = htmlspecialchars($column);
     }
     $response->addJSON('columns', $columns);
+
+    // @todo should be: $server->db($db)->table($table)->primary()
+    $primary = PMA_Index::getPrimary($foreignTable, $_REQUEST['foreignDb']);
+    if (false === $primary) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $primarycols = array_keys($primary->getColumns());
+    $response->addJSON('primary', $primarycols);
 }
 
 /**