diff --git a/django/db/models/query.py b/django/db/models/query.py
index 51fa334e63..2ddcd449cf 100644
--- a/django/db/models/query.py
+++ b/django/db/models/query.py
@@ -881,8 +881,14 @@ def lookup_inner(path, lookup_type, value, opts, table, column):
                 new_opts = field.rel.to._meta
                 new_column = new_opts.pk.column
                 join_column = field.column
-
-            raise FieldFound
+                raise FieldFound
+            elif path:
+                # For regular fields, if there are still items on the path,
+                # an error has been made. We munge "name" so that the error
+                # properly identifies the cause of the problem.
+                name += LOOKUP_SEPARATOR + path[0]
+            else:
+                raise FieldFound
 
     except FieldFound: # Match found, loop has been shortcut.
         pass
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/lookup/models.py b/tests/modeltests/lookup/models.py
index aa903d1a64..8468d396f7 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/lookup/models.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/lookup/models.py
@@ -206,4 +206,15 @@ DoesNotExist: Article matching query does not exist.
 >>> Article.objects.exclude(id__in=[])
 [<Article: Article with \ backslash>, <Article: Article% with percent sign>, <Article: Article_ with underscore>, <Article: Article 5>, <Article: Article 6>, <Article: Article 4>, <Article: Article 2>, <Article: Article 3>, <Article: Article 7>, <Article: Article 1>]
 
+# Programming errors are pointed out with nice error messages
+>>> Article.objects.filter(pub_date_year='2005').count()
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+    ...
+TypeError: Cannot resolve keyword 'pub_date_year' into field
+
+>>> Article.objects.filter(headline__starts='Article')
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+    ...
+TypeError: Cannot resolve keyword 'headline__starts' into field
+
 """}