diff --git a/django/conf/__init__.py b/django/conf/__init__.py
index 7fbfd26534..8dd028414a 100644
--- a/django/conf/__init__.py
+++ b/django/conf/__init__.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class UserSettingsHolder(object):
         return getattr(self.default_settings, name)
 
     def __dir__(self):
-        return dir(self) + dir(self.default_settings)
+        return self.__dict__.keys() + dir(self.default_settings)
 
     # For Python < 2.6:
     __members__ = property(lambda self: self.__dir__())