diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/options.py b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
index ad10efda9d..72392f4124 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/options.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
@@ -292,7 +292,8 @@ class ModelAdmin(BaseModelAdmin):
         Returns a QuerySet of all model instances that can be edited by the
         admin site.
         """
-        return self.model._default_manager.get_query_set().order_by(*self.ordering)
+        ordering = self.ordering or () # otherwise we might try to *None, which is bad ;)
+        return self.model._default_manager.get_query_set().order_by(*ordering)
 
     def queryset_add(self, request):
         """
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_ordering/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_ordering/models.py
index 4938083ac5..601f06bb0a 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_ordering/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_ordering/models.py
@@ -24,14 +24,21 @@ class.
 >>> b3 = Band(name='Van Halen', bio='', rank=2)
 >>> b3.save()
 
+The default ordering should be by name, as specified in the inner Meta class.
+
+>>> ma = ModelAdmin(Band, None)
+>>> [b.name for b in ma.queryset(None)]
+[u'Aerosmith', u'Radiohead', u'Van Halen']
+
+
+Let's use a custom ModelAdmin that changes the ordering, and make sure it
+actually changes.
+
 >>> class BandAdmin(ModelAdmin):
 ...     ordering = ('rank',) # default ordering is ('name',)
 ...
 
 >>> ma = BandAdmin(Band, None)
->>> [b.name for b in Band.objects.all()]
-[u'Aerosmith', u'Radiohead', u'Van Halen']
-
 >>> [b.name for b in ma.queryset(None)]
 [u'Radiohead', u'Van Halen', u'Aerosmith']