diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/parser/CommandBuilder.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/parser/CommandBuilder.java
index fb08d08fcb926..bf432a7236357 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/parser/CommandBuilder.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/parser/CommandBuilder.java
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ public Object visitSysCatalogs(SysCatalogsContext ctx) {
     @Override
     public SysTables visitSysTables(SysTablesContext ctx) {
         List<IndexType> types = new ArrayList<>();
+        boolean legacyTableType = false;
         for (StringContext string : ctx.string()) {
             String value = string(string);
             if (value != null) {
@@ -156,6 +157,12 @@ public SysTables visitSysTables(SysTablesContext ctx) {
                     // since % is the same as not specifying a value, choose
                     // https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/odbc/reference/develop-app/value-list-arguments?view=ssdt-18vs2017
                     // that is skip the value
+                }
+                // special case for legacy apps (like msquery) that always asks for 'TABLE'
+                // which we manually map to all concrete tables supported
+                else if (value.toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT).equals("TABLE")) {
+                    legacyTableType = true;
+                    types.add(IndexType.INDEX);
                 } else {
                     IndexType type = IndexType.from(value);
                     types.add(type);
@@ -165,7 +172,7 @@ public SysTables visitSysTables(SysTablesContext ctx) {
 
         // if the ODBC enumeration is specified, skip validation
         EnumSet<IndexType> set = types.isEmpty() ? null : EnumSet.copyOf(types);
-        return new SysTables(source(ctx), visitPattern(ctx.clusterPattern), visitPattern(ctx.tablePattern), set);
+        return new SysTables(source(ctx), visitPattern(ctx.clusterPattern), visitPattern(ctx.tablePattern), set, legacyTableType);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTables.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTables.java
index 2b8e5e8527c31..3bc69b2958ee5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTables.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTables.java
@@ -33,17 +33,21 @@ public class SysTables extends Command {
     private final LikePattern pattern;
     private final LikePattern clusterPattern;
     private final EnumSet<IndexType> types;
+    // flag indicating whether tables are reported as `TABLE` or `BASE TABLE`
+    private final boolean legacyTableTypes;
 
-    public SysTables(Location location, LikePattern clusterPattern, LikePattern pattern, EnumSet<IndexType> types) {
+    public SysTables(Location location, LikePattern clusterPattern, LikePattern pattern, EnumSet<IndexType> types,
+            boolean legacyTableTypes) {
         super(location);
         this.clusterPattern = clusterPattern;
         this.pattern = pattern;
         this.types = types;
+        this.legacyTableTypes = legacyTableTypes;
     }
 
     @Override
     protected NodeInfo<SysTables> info() {
-        return NodeInfo.create(this, SysTables::new, clusterPattern, pattern, types);
+        return NodeInfo.create(this, SysTables::new, clusterPattern, pattern, types, legacyTableTypes);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -111,7 +115,7 @@ public final void execute(SqlSession session, ActionListener<SchemaRowSet> liste
                  .map(t -> asList(cluster,
                          EMPTY,
                          t.name(),
-                         t.type().toSql(),
+                         legacyName(t.type()),
                          EMPTY,
                          null,
                          null,
@@ -122,6 +126,10 @@ public final void execute(SqlSession session, ActionListener<SchemaRowSet> liste
         , listener::onFailure));
     }
 
+    private String legacyName(IndexType indexType) {
+        return legacyTableTypes && indexType == IndexType.INDEX ? "TABLE" : indexType.toSql();
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
         return Objects.hash(clusterPattern, pattern, types);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTablesTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTablesTests.java
index fe36095641a60..c7c9ab449c663 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTablesTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/plan/logical/command/sys/SysTablesTests.java
@@ -105,6 +105,23 @@ public void testSysTablesOnlyIndices() throws Exception {
         }, index);
     }
 
+    public void testSysTablesOnlyIndicesInLegacyMode() throws Exception {
+        executeCommand("SYS TABLES LIKE 'test' TYPE 'TABLE'", r -> {
+            assertEquals(1, r.size());
+            assertEquals("test", r.column(2));
+            assertEquals("TABLE", r.column(3));
+        }, index);
+
+    }
+
+    public void testSysTablesOnlyIndicesLegacyModeParameterized() throws Exception {
+        executeCommand("SYS TABLES LIKE 'test' TYPE ?", asList(param("TABLE")), r -> {
+            assertEquals(1, r.size());
+            assertEquals("test", r.column(2));
+            assertEquals("TABLE", r.column(3));
+        }, index);
+    }
+
     public void testSysTablesOnlyIndicesParameterized() throws Exception {
         executeCommand("SYS TABLES LIKE 'test' TYPE ?", asList(param("ALIAS")), r -> {
             assertEquals(1, r.size());
@@ -131,6 +148,18 @@ public void testSysTablesOnlyIndicesAndAliasesParameterized() throws Exception {
         }, index, alias);
     }
 
+    public void testSysTablesOnlyIndicesLegacyAndAliasesParameterized() throws Exception {
+        List<SqlTypedParamValue> params = asList(param("ALIAS"), param("TABLE"));
+        executeCommand("SYS TABLES LIKE 'test' TYPE ?, ?", params, r -> {
+            assertEquals(2, r.size());
+            assertEquals("test", r.column(2));
+            assertEquals("TABLE", r.column(3));
+            assertTrue(r.advanceRow());
+            assertEquals("alias", r.column(2));
+            assertEquals("ALIAS", r.column(3));
+        }, index, alias);
+    }
+
     public void testSysTablesWithCatalogOnlyAliases() throws Exception {
         executeCommand("SYS TABLES CATALOG LIKE '%' LIKE 'test' TYPE 'ALIAS'", r -> {
             assertEquals(1, r.size());