diff --git a/exposed-core/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/SchemaUtils.kt b/exposed-core/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/SchemaUtils.kt
index ae2ed57add..3a1d9716fc 100644
--- a/exposed-core/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/SchemaUtils.kt
+++ b/exposed-core/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/SchemaUtils.kt
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ object SchemaUtils {
             if (tables.isEmpty()) emptyMap()
             else {
                 tables.associateWith { t ->
-                    t.columns.mapNotNull { c ->
-                        c.referee?.let { it.table to c.columnType.nullable }
-                    }.toMap()
+                    t.foreignKeys.map { it.targetTable }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -33,9 +31,7 @@ object SchemaUtils {
 
             fun parseTable(table: Table) {
                 if (result.add(table)) {
-                    table.columns.forEach {
-                        it.referee?.table?.let(::parseTable)
-                    }
+                    table.foreignKeys.map { it.targetTable }.forEach(::parseTable)
                 }
             }
             tables.forEach(::parseTable)
@@ -51,7 +47,7 @@ object SchemaUtils {
             fun traverse(table: Table) {
                 if (table !in visited) {
                     visited += table
-                    graph.getValue(table).forEach { (t, _) ->
+                    graph.getValue(table).forEach { t ->
                         if (t !in visited) {
                             traverse(t)
                         }
@@ -76,7 +72,7 @@ object SchemaUtils {
                 if (table in visited) return false
                 recursion += table
                 visited += table
-                return if (graph[table]!!.any { traverse(it.key) }) {
+                return if (graph[table]!!.any { traverse(it) }) {
                     true
                 } else {
                     recursion -= table
diff --git a/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/ddl/CreateMissingTablesAndColumnsTests.kt b/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/ddl/CreateMissingTablesAndColumnsTests.kt
index de07bb558f..e5942a76e1 100644
--- a/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/ddl/CreateMissingTablesAndColumnsTests.kt
+++ b/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/ddl/CreateMissingTablesAndColumnsTests.kt
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ class CreateMissingTablesAndColumnsTests : DatabaseTestsBase() {
     }
 
     @Test fun testCreateTableWithReferenceMultipleTimes() {
-        withTables(PlayerTable, SessionsTable) {
+        withTables(SessionsTable, PlayerTable) {
             SchemaUtils.createMissingTablesAndColumns(PlayerTable, SessionsTable)
             SchemaUtils.createMissingTablesAndColumns(PlayerTable, SessionsTable)
         }
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ class CreateMissingTablesAndColumnsTests : DatabaseTestsBase() {
 
     @Test
     fun testCreateCompositePrimaryKeyTableAndCompositeForeignKeyTableMultipleTimes() {
-        withTables(CompositePrimaryKeyTable, CompositeForeignKeyTable) {
+        withTables(CompositeForeignKeyTable, CompositePrimaryKeyTable) {
             SchemaUtils.createMissingTablesAndColumns(CompositePrimaryKeyTable, CompositeForeignKeyTable)
             SchemaUtils.createMissingTablesAndColumns(CompositePrimaryKeyTable, CompositeForeignKeyTable)
         }