diff --git a/src/Command/ModelCommand.php b/src/Command/ModelCommand.php
index 37dc629a..07bba472 100644
--- a/src/Command/ModelCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/ModelCommand.php
@@ -346,11 +346,18 @@ public function findBelongsTo(Table $model, array $associations): array
                 ];
             } else {
                 $tmpModelName = $this->_modelNameFromKey($fieldName);
-                if (!in_array(Inflector::tableize($tmpModelName), $this->_tables, true)) {
+                $associationTable = $this->getTableLocator()->get($tmpModelName);
+                $tables = $this->listAll();
+                // Check if association model could not be instantiated as a subclass but a generic Table instance instead
+                if (
+                    get_class($associationTable) === Table::class &&
+                    !in_array(Inflector::tableize($tmpModelName), $tables, true)
+                ) {
                     $found = $this->findTableReferencedBy($schema, $fieldName);
-                    if ($found) {
-                        $tmpModelName = Inflector::camelize($found);
+                    if (!$found) {
+                        continue;
                     }
+                    $tmpModelName = Inflector::camelize($found);
                 }
                 $assoc = [
                     'alias' => $tmpModelName,
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/Command/ModelCommandTest.php b/tests/TestCase/Command/ModelCommandTest.php
index e96fcfc8..9860ce39 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/Command/ModelCommandTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/Command/ModelCommandTest.php
@@ -375,6 +375,96 @@ public function testGetAssociationsPlugin()
         $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test that association generation ignores `anything_id` fields if
+     * AnythingsTable object nor `anythings` database table exist
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testGetAssociationsIgnoreUnderscoreIdIfNoDbTable()
+    {
+        $items = $this->getTableLocator()->get('TodoItems');
+
+        $items->setSchema($items->getSchema()->addColumn('anything_id', ['type' => 'integer']));
+        $command = new ModelCommand();
+        $command->connection = 'test';
+
+        $args = new Arguments([], [], []);
+        $io = $this->createMock(ConsoleIo::class);
+        $result = $command->getAssociations($items, $args, $io);
+        $expected = [
+            'belongsTo' => [
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'Users',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'user_id',
+                    'joinType' => 'INNER',
+                ],
+            ],
+            'hasMany' => [
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'TodoTasks',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'todo_item_id',
+                ],
+            ],
+            'belongsToMany' => [
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'TodoLabels',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'todo_item_id',
+                    'joinTable' => 'todo_items_todo_labels',
+                    'targetForeignKey' => 'todo_label_id',
+                ],
+            ],
+        ];
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that association generation adds association when `anything_id` fields and
+     * AnythingsTable object exist even if no db table
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testGetAssociationsAddAssociationIfTableExist()
+    {
+        $items = $this->getTableLocator()->get('TodoItems');
+
+        $items->setSchema($items->getSchema()->addColumn('template_task_comment_id', ['type' => 'integer']));
+        $command = new ModelCommand();
+        $command->connection = 'test';
+
+        $args = new Arguments([], [], []);
+        $io = $this->createMock(ConsoleIo::class);
+        $result = $command->getAssociations($items, $args, $io);
+        $expected = [
+            'belongsTo' => [
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'Users',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'user_id',
+                    'joinType' => 'INNER',
+                ],
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'TemplateTaskComments',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'template_task_comment_id',
+                ],
+            ],
+            'hasMany' => [
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'TodoTasks',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'todo_item_id',
+                ],
+            ],
+            'belongsToMany' => [
+                [
+                    'alias' => 'TodoLabels',
+                    'foreignKey' => 'todo_item_id',
+                    'joinTable' => 'todo_items_todo_labels',
+                    'targetForeignKey' => 'todo_label_id',
+                ],
+            ],
+        ];
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test that association generation ignores `_id` fields
      *
@@ -491,6 +581,7 @@ public function testBelongsToGenerationConstraints()
     {
         $model = $this->getTableLocator()->get('Invitations');
         $command = new ModelCommand();
+        $command->connection = 'test';
         $result = $command->findBelongsTo($model, []);
         $expected = [
             'belongsTo' => [
@@ -519,6 +610,7 @@ public function testBelongsToGenerationCompositeKey()
     {
         $model = $this->getTableLocator()->get('TodoItemsTodoLabels');
         $command = new ModelCommand();
+        $command->connection = 'test';
         $result = $command->findBelongsTo($model, []);
         $expected = [
             'belongsTo' => [
@@ -1673,9 +1765,9 @@ public function testBakeEntityWithPlugin()
         $this->_loadTestPlugin('BakeTest');
         $path = Plugin::path('BakeTest');
 
-        $this->generatedFile = $path . 'src/Model/Table/UsersTable.php';
+        $this->generatedFile = $path . 'src/Model/Entity/User.php';
 
-        $this->exec('bake model --no-validation --no-test --no-fixture --no-entity -p BakeTest Users');
+        $this->exec('bake model --no-validation --no-test --no-fixture --no-table BakeTest.Users');
 
         $this->assertExitCode(CommandInterface::CODE_SUCCESS);
         $this->assertFileExists($this->generatedFile);
diff --git a/tests/comparisons/Model/testBakeEntityWithPlugin.php b/tests/comparisons/Model/testBakeEntityWithPlugin.php
index 15f39a41..c8b295a1 100644
--- a/tests/comparisons/Model/testBakeEntityWithPlugin.php
+++ b/tests/comparisons/Model/testBakeEntityWithPlugin.php
@@ -1,74 +1,48 @@
 <?php
 declare(strict_types=1);
 
-namespace BakeTest\Model\Table;
+namespace BakeTest\Model\Entity;
 
-use Cake\ORM\Query;
-use Cake\ORM\RulesChecker;
-use Cake\ORM\Table;
-use Cake\Validation\Validator;
+use Cake\ORM\Entity;
 
 /**
- * Users Model
+ * User Entity
  *
- * @property \BakeTest\Model\Table\CommentsTable&\Cake\ORM\Association\HasMany $Comments
- * @property \BakeTest\Model\Table\TodoItemsTable&\Cake\ORM\Association\HasMany $TodoItems
+ * @property int $id
+ * @property string|null $username
+ * @property string|null $password
+ * @property \Cake\I18n\FrozenTime|null $created
+ * @property \Cake\I18n\FrozenTime|null $updated
  *
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User newEmptyEntity()
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User newEntity(array $data, array $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User[] newEntities(array $data, array $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User get($primaryKey, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User findOrCreate($search, ?callable $callback = null, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User patchEntity(\Cake\Datasource\EntityInterface $entity, array $data, array $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User[] patchEntities(iterable $entities, array $data, array $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User|false save(\Cake\Datasource\EntityInterface $entity, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User saveOrFail(\Cake\Datasource\EntityInterface $entity, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User[]|\Cake\Datasource\ResultSetInterface|false saveMany(iterable $entities, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User[]|\Cake\Datasource\ResultSetInterface saveManyOrFail(iterable $entities, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User[]|\Cake\Datasource\ResultSetInterface|false deleteMany(iterable $entities, $options = [])
- * @method \BakeTest\Model\Entity\User[]|\Cake\Datasource\ResultSetInterface deleteManyOrFail(iterable $entities, $options = [])
- *
- * @mixin \Cake\ORM\Behavior\TimestampBehavior
+ * @property \BakeTest\Model\Entity\Comment[] $comments
+ * @property \BakeTest\Model\Entity\TodoItem[] $todo_items
  */
-class UsersTable extends Table
+class User extends Entity
 {
     /**
-     * Initialize method
+     * Fields that can be mass assigned using newEntity() or patchEntity().
+     *
+     * Note that when '*' is set to true, this allows all unspecified fields to
+     * be mass assigned. For security purposes, it is advised to set '*' to false
+     * (or remove it), and explicitly make individual fields accessible as needed.
      *
-     * @param array $config The configuration for the Table.
-     * @return void
+     * @var array<string, bool>
      */
-    public function initialize(array $config): void
-    {
-        parent::initialize($config);
-
-        $this->setTable('users');
-        $this->setDisplayField('id');
-        $this->setPrimaryKey('id');
-
-        $this->addBehavior('Timestamp');
-
-        $this->hasMany('Comments', [
-            'foreignKey' => 'user_id',
-            'className' => 'BakeTest.Comments',
-        ]);
-        $this->hasMany('TodoItems', [
-            'foreignKey' => 'user_id',
-            'className' => 'BakeTest.TodoItems',
-        ]);
-    }
+    protected $_accessible = [
+        'username' => true,
+        'password' => true,
+        'created' => true,
+        'updated' => true,
+        'comments' => true,
+        'todo_items' => true,
+    ];
 
     /**
-     * Returns a rules checker object that will be used for validating
-     * application integrity.
+     * Fields that are excluded from JSON versions of the entity.
      *
-     * @param \Cake\ORM\RulesChecker $rules The rules object to be modified.
-     * @return \Cake\ORM\RulesChecker
+     * @var array<string>
      */
-    public function buildRules(RulesChecker $rules): RulesChecker
-    {
-        $rules->add($rules->isUnique(['username']), ['errorField' => 'username']);
-
-        return $rules;
-    }
+    protected $_hidden = [
+        'password',
+    ];
 }