diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t
index e1a2541de..95a8e84e6 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   \centering
 <%- endif %>
 <% if table.caption -%>
+\sphinxcapstartof{table}
 \sphinxcaptionof{table}{<%= ''.join(table.caption) %>}<%= labels %>
 \sphinxaftercaption
 <% endif -%>
diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t
index 5cc09717e..da9df1c48 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   \centering
 <%- endif %>
 <% if table.caption -%>
+\sphinxcapstartof{table}
 \sphinxcaptionof{table}{<%= ''.join(table.caption) %>}<%= labels %>
 \sphinxaftercaption
 <% endif -%>
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index b7988eeac..1fe8d3d30 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -105,29 +105,30 @@
 \let\sphinxattableend\sphinxatlongtableend
 % longtable's wraps captions to a maximal width of \LTcapwidth
 % so we do the same for all tables
+\newcommand*\sphinxcapstartof[1]{%
+   \vskip\parskip
+   \vbox{}% force baselineskip for good positioning by capstart of hyperanchor
+   \def\@captype{#1}%
+   \capstart
+% move back vertically to compensate space inserted by next paragraph
+   \vskip-\baselineskip\vskip-\parskip
+}%
 \newcommand\sphinxcaptionof[3][\LTcapwidth]{%
    \noindent\hb@xt@\linewidth{\hss
       \vtop{\@tempdima\dimexpr#1\relax
 % don't exceed linewidth for the caption width
             \ifdim\@tempdima>\linewidth\hsize\linewidth\else\hsize\@tempdima\fi
-            \def\@captype{#2}%
-            \capstart % must be after setting \@captype
 % longtable ignores \abovecaptionskip/\belowcaptionskip, so do the same here
             \abovecaptionskip\z@skip
             \belowcaptionskip\z@skip
-% hyperref anchor (and a \write) cause the \vtop to have zero height. Hence if
-% the caption is first thing in a list item, the item label (which gets
-% inserted indirectly by the \noindent) will have its baseline same as top of
-% box which is \ht\strutbox above the caption text baseline. This avoids a
-% wide caption overwriting the item label.
             \caption[{#3}]%
                {\strut\ignorespaces#3\ifhmode\unskip\@finalstrut\strutbox\fi}%
            }\hss}%
    \par\prevdepth\dp\strutbox
 }%
 \newcommand\sphinxaftercaption
-{% the default definition serves with a caption above a table, to make sure its
- % last baseline is \sphinxbelowcaptionspace above table top rule
+{% this default definition serves with a caption *above* a table, to make sure
+ % its last baseline is \sphinxbelowcaptionspace above table top
  \nobreak
    \vskip\dimexpr\sphinxbelowcaptionspace\relax
    \vskip-\baselineskip\vskip-\parskip
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index d59e5e255..42e0e8476 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -895,6 +895,7 @@ def test_latex_table_tabulars(app, status, warning):
     # table having caption
     table = tables['table having caption']
     assert ('\\begin{savenotes}\\sphinxattablestart\n\\centering\n'
+            '\\sphinxcapstartof{table}\n'
             '\\sphinxcaptionof{table}{caption for table}'
             '\\label{\\detokenize{tabular:id1}}\n'
             '\\sphinxaftercaption' in table)