diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base/models.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base/models.py
index 6bebfa9f7e..85f4478534 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base/models.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base/models.py
@@ -164,15 +164,14 @@ class SpatialRefSysMixin(object):
     @classmethod
     def get_units(cls, wkt):
         """
-        Class method used by GeometryField on initialization to
-        retrieve the units on the given WKT, without having to use
-        any of the database fields.
+        Return a tuple of (unit_value, unit_name) for the given WKT without
+        using any of the database fields.
         """
         if gdal.HAS_GDAL:
             return gdal.SpatialReference(wkt).units
         else:
             m = cls.units_regex.match(wkt)
-            return m.group('unit'), m.group('unit_name')
+            return float(m.group('unit')), m.group('unit_name')
 
     @classmethod
     def get_spheroid(cls, wkt, string=True):
diff --git a/tests/gis_tests/test_spatialrefsys.py b/tests/gis_tests/test_spatialrefsys.py
index e0c593ff4a..c31b6280c3 100644
--- a/tests/gis_tests/test_spatialrefsys.py
+++ b/tests/gis_tests/test_spatialrefsys.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
+import re
 import unittest
 
 from django.contrib.gis.gdal import HAS_GDAL
 from django.db import connection
-from django.test import skipUnlessDBFeature
+from django.test import mock, skipUnlessDBFeature
 from django.utils import six
 
 from .utils import SpatialRefSys, oracle, postgis, spatialite
@@ -20,6 +21,18 @@ test_srs = ({
     # From proj's "cs2cs -le" and Wikipedia (semi-minor only)
     'ellipsoid': (6378137.0, 6356752.3, 298.257223563),
     'eprec': (1, 1, 9),
+    'wkt': re.sub('[\s+]', '', """
+        GEOGCS["WGS 84",
+    DATUM["WGS_1984",
+        SPHEROID["WGS 84",6378137,298.257223563,
+            AUTHORITY["EPSG","7030"]],
+        AUTHORITY["EPSG","6326"]],
+    PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,
+        AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],
+    UNIT["degree",0.01745329251994328,
+        AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],
+    AUTHORITY["EPSG","4326"]]
+    """)
 }, {
     'srid': 32140,
     'auth_name': ('EPSG', False),
@@ -43,6 +56,19 @@ test_srs = ({
 @skipUnlessDBFeature("has_spatialrefsys_table")
 class SpatialRefSysTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
+    def test_get_units(self):
+        epsg_4326 = next(f for f in test_srs if f['srid'] == 4326)
+        unit, unit_name = SpatialRefSys().get_units(epsg_4326['wkt'])
+        self.assertEqual(unit_name, 'degree')
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(unit, 0.01745329251994328)
+
+    @mock.patch('django.contrib.gis.gdal.HAS_GDAL', False)
+    def test_get_units_without_gdal(self):
+        epsg_4326 = next(f for f in test_srs if f['srid'] == 4326)
+        unit, unit_name = SpatialRefSys().get_units(epsg_4326['wkt'])
+        self.assertEqual(unit_name, 'degree')
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(unit, 0.01745329251994328)
+
     def test_retrieve(self):
         """
         Test retrieval of SpatialRefSys model objects.