diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/filters.py b/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
index 261ba7a02a..ed98a9ebb5 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
@@ -146,14 +146,11 @@ class RelatedFieldListFilter(FieldListFilter):
     def __init__(self, field, request, params, model, model_admin, field_path):
         super(RelatedFieldListFilter, self).__init__(
             field, request, params, model, model_admin, field_path)
-
         other_model = get_model_from_relation(field)
-        if isinstance(field, (models.ManyToManyField,
-                          models.related.RelatedObject)):
-            # no direct field on this model, get name from other model
-            self.lookup_title = other_model._meta.verbose_name
+        if hasattr(field, 'verbose_name'):
+            self.lookup_title = field.verbose_name
         else:
-            self.lookup_title = field.verbose_name # use field name
+            self.lookup_title = other_model._meta.verbose_name
         rel_name = other_model._meta.pk.name
         self.lookup_kwarg = '%s__%s__exact' % (self.field_path, rel_name)
         self.lookup_kwarg_isnull = '%s__isnull' % (self.field_path)
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py
index ac43263d2e..2fa6e6631d 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ from django.db import models
 class Book(models.Model):
     title = models.CharField(max_length=50)
     year = models.PositiveIntegerField(null=True, blank=True)
-    author = models.ForeignKey(User, related_name='books_authored', blank=True, null=True)
-    contributors = models.ManyToManyField(User, related_name='books_contributed', blank=True, null=True)
+    author = models.ForeignKey(User, verbose_name="Verbose Author", related_name='books_authored', blank=True, null=True)
+    contributors = models.ManyToManyField(User, verbose_name="Verbose Contributors", related_name='books_contributed', blank=True, null=True)
     is_best_seller = models.NullBooleanField(default=0)
     date_registered = models.DateField(null=True)
     no = models.IntegerField(verbose_name=u'number', blank=True, null=True) # This field is intentionally 2 characters long. See #16080.
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py
index e276e55a35..28693aef98 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
 
         # Make sure the last choice is None and is selected
         filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][1]
-        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'author')
+        self.assertEquals(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'Verbose Author')
         choices = list(filterspec.choices(changelist))
         self.assertEqual(choices[-1]['selected'], True)
         self.assertEqual(choices[-1]['query_string'], '?author__isnull=True')
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
 
         # Make sure the correct choice is selected
         filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][1]
-        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'author')
+        self.assertEquals(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'Verbose Author')
         # order of choices depends on User model, which has no order
         choice = select_by(filterspec.choices(changelist), "display", "alfred")
         self.assertEqual(choice['selected'], True)
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
 
         # Make sure the last choice is None and is selected
         filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][2]
-        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'user')
+        self.assertEquals(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'Verbose Contributors')
         choices = list(filterspec.choices(changelist))
         self.assertEqual(choices[-1]['selected'], True)
         self.assertEqual(choices[-1]['query_string'], '?contributors__isnull=True')
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
 
         # Make sure the correct choice is selected
         filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][2]
-        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'user')
+        self.assertEquals(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'Verbose Contributors')
         choice = select_by(filterspec.choices(changelist), "display", "bob")
         self.assertEqual(choice['selected'], True)
         self.assertEqual(choice['query_string'], '?contributors__id__exact=%d' % self.bob.pk)
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(choices[3]['query_string'], '?publication-decade=the+00s&author__id__exact=%s' % self.alfred.pk)
 
         filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][0]
-        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'author')
+        self.assertEquals(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'Verbose Author')
         choice = select_by(filterspec.choices(changelist), "display", "alfred")
         self.assertEqual(choice['selected'], True)
         self.assertEqual(choice['query_string'], '?publication-decade=the+00s&author__id__exact=%s' % self.alfred.pk)