diff --git a/django/forms/forms.py b/django/forms/forms.py
index 45bbbb41b6..b3718efa9a 100644
--- a/django/forms/forms.py
+++ b/django/forms/forms.py
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ __all__ = ('BaseForm', 'Form')
 NON_FIELD_ERRORS = '__all__'
 
 def pretty_name(name):
-    "Converts 'first_name' to 'First name'"
-    name = name[0].upper() + name[1:]
-    return name.replace('_', ' ')
+    """Converts 'first_name' to 'First name'""" 
+    if not name: 
+        return u'' 
+    return name.replace('_', ' ').capitalize() 
 
 def get_declared_fields(bases, attrs, with_base_fields=True):
     """
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
index b8b4e50ba2..80f137ae86 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class Article(models.Model):
     def model_year(self):
         return self.date.year
     model_year.admin_order_field = 'date'
+    model_year.short_description = ''
 
 class Book(models.Model):
     """
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ class ArticleAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     def modeladmin_year(self, obj):
         return obj.date.year
     modeladmin_year.admin_order_field = 'date'
+    modeladmin_year.short_description = None
 
 class CustomArticle(models.Model):
     content = models.TextField()