diff --git a/django/core/management/validation.py b/django/core/management/validation.py
index f5e4f7fc70..cd1f84f34b 100644
--- a/django/core/management/validation.py
+++ b/django/core/management/validation.py
@@ -232,5 +232,7 @@ def get_validation_errors(outfile, app=None):
                 else:
                     if isinstance(f.rel, models.ManyToManyRel):
                         e.add(opts, '"unique_together" refers to %s. ManyToManyFields are not supported in unique_together.' % f.name)
+                    if f not in opts.local_fields:
+                        e.add(opts, '"unique_together" refers to %s. This is not in the same model as the unique_together statement.' % f.name)
 
     return len(e.errors)
diff --git a/docs/model-api.txt b/docs/model-api.txt
index 1926495728..abf69835be 100644
--- a/docs/model-api.txt
+++ b/docs/model-api.txt
@@ -1166,6 +1166,10 @@ together. It's used in the Django admin and is enforced at the database
 level (i.e., the appropriate ``UNIQUE`` statements are included in the
 ``CREATE TABLE`` statement).
 
+All the fields specified in ``unique_together`` must be part of the current
+model. If you are using `model inheritance`_, you cannot refer to fields from
+any parent classes in ``unique_together``.
+
 **New in Django development version**
 
 For convenience, unique_together can be a single list when dealing