diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t
index 62af2ffa8..3fd347e53 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabular.tex_t
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@
   \centering
 <%- endif %>
 <% if table.caption -%>
-\begin{threeparttable}
-\capstart\caption{<%= ''.join(table.caption) %>}<%= labels %>
+\sphinxcapstartof{table}
+\sphinxcaption{<%= ''.join(table.caption) %>}<%= labels %>
+\sphinxaftercaption
 <% endif -%>
 \begin{tabular}[t]<%= table.get_colspec() -%>
 \hline
@@ -22,8 +23,5 @@
 <%- endif -%>
 <%=- ''.join(table.body) %>
 \end{tabular}
-<%- if table.caption %>
-\end{threeparttable}
-<%- endif %>
 \par
 \sphinxattableend\end{savenotes}
diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t
index c51d53396..16d15192b 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/tabulary.tex_t
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@
   \centering
 <%- endif %>
 <% if table.caption -%>
-\begin{threeparttable}
-\capstart\caption{<%= ''.join(table.caption) %>}<%= labels %>
+\sphinxcapstartof{table}
+\sphinxcaption{<%= ''.join(table.caption) %>}<%= labels %>
+\sphinxaftercaption
 <% endif -%>
 \begin{tabulary}{\linewidth}[t]<%= table.get_colspec() -%>
 \hline
@@ -22,8 +23,5 @@
 <%- endif -%>
 <%=- ''.join(table.body) %>
 \end{tabulary}
-<%- if table.caption %>
-\end{threeparttable}
-<%- endif %>
 \par
 \sphinxattableend\end{savenotes}
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index 5a5088303..2c73a9e10 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -77,40 +77,63 @@
       #1\dimexpr\linewidth-\arrayrulewidth\relax-\tw@\tabcolsep-\arrayrulewidth\relax}}
 % using here T (for Tabulary) feels less of a problem than the X could be
 \newcolumntype{T}{J}%
+% For tables allowing pagebreaks
 \RequirePackage{longtable}
-% For table captions.
-\RequirePackage{threeparttable}
-% fixing the LaTeX mess of vertical spaces with threeparttable and longtable
-% The user interface:
+% User interface to set-up whitespace before and after tables:
 \newcommand*\sphinxtablepre {0pt}%
 \newcommand*\sphinxtablepost{\medskipamount}%
+\newcommand*\sphinxbelowcaptionspace{.5\sphinxbaselineskip}%
 % as one can not use \baselineskip from inside longtable (it is zero there)
 % we need \sphinxbaselineskip, which defaults to \baselineskip
-\newcommand*\sphinxbelowcaptionspace{.5\sphinxbaselineskip}%
 \def\sphinxbaselineskip{\baselineskip}%
-% Helper macros, not a priori for user customization
+% These commands are inserted by the table templates
 \def\sphinxatlongtablestart
    {\par
     \vskip\parskip
     \vskip\dimexpr\sphinxtablepre\relax % adjust vertical position
     \vbox{}% get correct baseline from above
     \LTpre\z@skip\LTpost\z@skip % set to zero longtable's own skips
-    \edef\sphinxbaselineskip{\dimexpr\the\dimexpr\baselineskip\relax\relax}}%
+    \edef\sphinxbaselineskip{\dimexpr\the\dimexpr\baselineskip\relax\relax}%
+   }%
 \def\sphinxatlongtableend{\prevdepth\z@\vskip\sphinxtablepost\relax}%
-% the longtable template inserts a \strut at caption's end
 \def\sphinxlongtablecapskipadjust
-   {\dimexpr-\dp\strutbox-\sphinxbaselineskip
-            +\sphinxbelowcaptionspace\relax}%
-% tabular(y) with or without threeparttable
+   {\dimexpr-\dp\strutbox-\sphinxbaselineskip+\sphinxbelowcaptionspace\relax}%
+% Now for tables not using longtable
 \def\sphinxattablestart
    {\par
     \vskip\dimexpr\sphinxtablepre\relax
-    \belowcaptionskip\sphinx@TPTbelowcaptionskip}%
+   }%
 \let\sphinxattableend\sphinxatlongtableend
-% the tabular(y) templates use [t] vertical placement parameter
-\def\sphinx@TPTbelowcaptionskip
-   {\dimexpr-1.2\baselineskip % .2\baselineskip hardcoded in threeparttable
-            +\sphinxbelowcaptionspace\relax }%
+% 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\sphinxcaption[2][\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
+% longtable ignores \abovecaptionskip/\belowcaptionskip, so do the same here
+            \abovecaptionskip\z@skip
+            \belowcaptionskip\z@skip
+            \caption[{#2}]%
+               {\strut\ignorespaces#2\ifhmode\unskip\@finalstrut\strutbox\fi}%
+           }\hss}%
+   \par\prevdepth\dp\strutbox
+}%
+\newcommand\sphinxaftercaption
+{% 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
+}%
 % varwidth is crucial for our handling of general contents in merged cells
 \RequirePackage{varwidth}
 % but addition of a compatibility patch with hyperref is needed
@@ -598,6 +621,7 @@
 %
 \newenvironment{sphinxfigure-in-table}[1][\linewidth]{%
   \def\@captype{figure}%
+  \sphinxsetvskipsforfigintablecaption
   \begin{minipage}{#1}%
 }{\end{minipage}}
 % store original \caption macro for use with figures in longtable and tabulary
@@ -606,7 +630,9 @@
   {\ifx\equation$%$% this is trick to identify tabulary first pass
        \firstchoice@false\else\firstchoice@true\fi
    \spx@originalcaption }
-
+\newcommand*\sphinxsetvskipsforfigintablecaption
+  {\abovecaptionskip\smallskipamount
+   \belowcaptionskip\smallskipamount}
 
 %% FOOTNOTES
 %
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index 2e5a5d78b..6b5cfef5b 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ from test_build_html import ENV_WARNINGS
 LATEX_ENGINES = ['pdflatex', 'lualatex', 'xelatex']
 DOCCLASSES = ['howto', 'manual']
 STYLEFILES = ['article.cls', 'fancyhdr.sty', 'titlesec.sty', 'amsmath.sty',
-              'framed.sty', 'color.sty', 'fancyvrb.sty', 'threeparttable.sty',
+              'framed.sty', 'color.sty', 'fancyvrb.sty',
               'fncychap.sty', 'geometry.sty', 'kvoptions.sty', 'hyperref.sty']
 
 LATEX_WARNINGS = ENV_WARNINGS + """\
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ def test_footnote(app, status, warning):
     assert ('\\bibitem[bar]{\\detokenize{bar}}'
             '{\\phantomsection\\label{\\detokenize{footnote:bar}} '
             '\ncite\n}') in result
-    assert '\\caption{Table caption \\sphinxfootnotemark[4]' in result
+    assert '\\sphinxcaption{Table caption \\sphinxfootnotemark[4]' in result
     assert ('\\hline%\n\\begin{footnotetext}[4]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
             'footnote in table caption\n%\n\\end{footnotetext}\\ignorespaces %\n'
             '\\begin{footnotetext}[5]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ def test_footnote(app, status, warning):
     assert ('Information about VIDIOC\\_CROPCAP %\n'
             '\\begin{footnote}[6]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
             'footnote in table not in header\n%\n\\end{footnote}\n\\\\\n\\hline\n'
-            '\\end{tabulary}\n\\end{threeparttable}\n'
+            '\\end{tabulary}\n'
             '\\par\n\\sphinxattableend\\end{savenotes}\n') in result
 
 
@@ -517,7 +517,8 @@ def test_reference_in_caption_and_codeblock_in_footnote(app, status, warning):
             '{\\hyperref[\\detokenize{index:authoryear}]'
             '{\\sphinxcrossref{{[}AuthorYear{]}}}}.}' in result)
     assert '\\chapter{The section with a reference to {[}AuthorYear{]}}' in result
-    assert '\\caption{The table title with a reference to {[}AuthorYear{]}}' in result
+    assert ('\\sphinxcaption{The table title with a reference'
+            ' to {[}AuthorYear{]}}' in result)
     assert '\\paragraph{The rubric title with a reference to {[}AuthorYear{]}}' in result
     assert ('\\chapter{The section with a reference to \\sphinxfootnotemark[4]}\n'
             '\\label{\\detokenize{index:the-section-with-a-reference-to}}'
@@ -527,8 +528,8 @@ def test_reference_in_caption_and_codeblock_in_footnote(app, status, warning):
             '\\sphinxfootnotemark[6].}\\label{\\detokenize{index:id27}}\\end{figure}\n'
             '%\n\\begin{footnotetext}[6]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
             'Footnote in caption\n%\n\\end{footnotetext}')in result
-    assert ('\\caption{footnote \\sphinxfootnotemark[7] '
-            'in caption of normal table}\\label{\\detokenize{index:id28}}') in result
+    assert ('\\sphinxcaption{footnote \\sphinxfootnotemark[7] in '
+            'caption of normal table}\\label{\\detokenize{index:id28}}') in result
     assert ('\\caption{footnote \\sphinxfootnotemark[8] '
             'in caption \\sphinxfootnotemark[9] of longtable\\strut}') in result
     assert ('\\endlastfoot\n%\n\\begin{footnotetext}[8]\\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
@@ -895,10 +896,12 @@ def test_latex_table_tabulars(app, status, warning):
     # table having caption
     table = tables['table having caption']
     assert ('\\begin{savenotes}\\sphinxattablestart\n\\centering\n'
-            '\\begin{threeparttable}\n\\capstart\\caption{caption for table}'
-            '\\label{\\detokenize{tabular:id1}}' in table)
+            '\\sphinxcapstartof{table}\n'
+            '\\sphinxcaption{caption for table}'
+            '\\label{\\detokenize{tabular:id1}}\n'
+            '\\sphinxaftercaption' in table)
     assert ('\\begin{tabulary}{\\linewidth}[t]{|T|T|}' in table)
-    assert ('\\hline\n\\end{tabulary}\n\\end{threeparttable}'
+    assert ('\\hline\n\\end{tabulary}'
             '\n\\par\n\\sphinxattableend\\end{savenotes}' in table)
 
     # table having verbatim