diff --git a/django/db/models/base.py b/django/db/models/base.py
index 787dcd026e..13c15d555a 100644
--- a/django/db/models/base.py
+++ b/django/db/models/base.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class Model(object):
                 cursor.execute("UPDATE %s SET %s WHERE %s=%%s" % \
                     (backend.quote_name(self._meta.db_table),
                     ','.join(['%s=%%s' % backend.quote_name(f.column) for f in non_pks]),
-                    backend.quote_name(self._meta.pk.attname)),
+                    backend.quote_name(self._meta.pk.column)),
                     db_values + [pk_val])
             else:
                 record_exists = False
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/custom_pk/models.py b/tests/modeltests/custom_pk/models.py
index 6193852adf..f7b790ca21 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/custom_pk/models.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/custom_pk/models.py
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ this behavior by explicitly adding ``primary_key=True`` to a field.
 from django.db import models
 
 class Employee(models.Model):
-    employee_code = models.CharField(maxlength=10, primary_key=True)
+    employee_code = models.CharField(maxlength=10, primary_key=True,
+            db_column = 'code')
     first_name = models.CharField(maxlength=20)
     last_name = models.CharField(maxlength=20)
     class Meta: