diff --git a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/utils/ModelUtils.java b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/utils/ModelUtils.java
index ad991f67954..50c9250224b 100644
--- a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/utils/ModelUtils.java
+++ b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/utils/ModelUtils.java
@@ -896,6 +896,8 @@ public class ModelUtils {
     public static String getParentName(ComposedSchema composedSchema, Map<String, Schema> allSchemas) {
         List<Schema> interfaces = getInterfaces(composedSchema);
 
+        List<String> refedParentNames = new ArrayList<>();
+
         if (interfaces != null && !interfaces.isEmpty()) {
             for (Schema schema : interfaces) {
                 // get the actual schema
@@ -911,6 +913,7 @@ public class ModelUtils {
                     } else {
                         LOGGER.debug("Not a parent since discriminator.propertyName is not set {}", s.get$ref());
                         // not a parent since discriminator.propertyName is not set
+                        refedParentNames.add(parentName);
                     }
                 } else {
                     // not a ref, doing nothing
@@ -918,6 +921,13 @@ public class ModelUtils {
             }
         }
 
+        // parent name only makes sense when there is a single obvious parent
+        if (refedParentNames.size() == 1) {
+            LOGGER.warn("[deprecated] inheritance without use of 'discriminator.propertyName' is deprecated " +
+                    "and will be removed in a future release. Generating model for {}", composedSchema.getName());
+            return refedParentNames.get(0);
+        }
+
         return null;
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/openapi-generator/src/test/java/org/openapitools/codegen/java/JavaInheritanceTest.java b/modules/openapi-generator/src/test/java/org/openapitools/codegen/java/JavaInheritanceTest.java
index 80bf59d12c2..3b8d691fac9 100644
--- a/modules/openapi-generator/src/test/java/org/openapitools/codegen/java/JavaInheritanceTest.java
+++ b/modules/openapi-generator/src/test/java/org/openapitools/codegen/java/JavaInheritanceTest.java
@@ -32,9 +32,10 @@ import org.testng.annotations.Test;
 
 public class JavaInheritanceTest {
 
-    @Test(description = "convert a composed model without discriminator")
+
+    @Test(description = "convert a composed model with parent")
     public void javaInheritanceTest() {
-        final Schema allOfModel = new Schema().name("Base");
+        final Schema parentModel = new Schema().name("Base");
 
         final Schema schema = new ComposedSchema()
                 .addAllOfItem(new Schema().$ref("Base"))
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ public class JavaInheritanceTest {
 
         OpenAPI openAPI = TestUtils.createOpenAPI();
         openAPI.setComponents(new Components()
-                .addSchemas(allOfModel.getName(), allOfModel)
+                .addSchemas(parentModel.getName(),parentModel)
                 .addSchemas(schema.getName(), schema)
         );
 
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ public class JavaInheritanceTest {
 
         Assert.assertEquals(cm.name, "sample");
         Assert.assertEquals(cm.classname, "Sample");
-        Assert.assertEquals(cm.parent, null);
+        Assert.assertEquals(cm.parent, "Base");
         Assert.assertEquals(cm.imports, Sets.newHashSet("Base"));
     }