diff --git a/django/core/urlresolvers.py b/django/core/urlresolvers.py
index a2533198b3..b634b56685 100644
--- a/django/core/urlresolvers.py
+++ b/django/core/urlresolvers.py
@@ -351,6 +351,9 @@ class RegexURLResolver(LocaleRegexProvider):
         return self._resolve_special('500')
 
     def reverse(self, lookup_view, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self._reverse_with_prefix(lookup_view, '', *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def _reverse_with_prefix(self, lookup_view, _prefix, *args, **kwargs):
         if args and kwargs:
             raise ValueError("Don't mix *args and **kwargs in call to reverse()!")
         try:
@@ -358,15 +361,16 @@ class RegexURLResolver(LocaleRegexProvider):
         except (ImportError, AttributeError), e:
             raise NoReverseMatch("Error importing '%s': %s." % (lookup_view, e))
         possibilities = self.reverse_dict.getlist(lookup_view)
+        prefix_norm, prefix_args = normalize(_prefix)[0]
         for possibility, pattern, defaults in possibilities:
             for result, params in possibility:
                 if args:
-                    if len(args) != len(params):
+                    if len(args) != len(params) + len(prefix_args):
                         continue
                     unicode_args = [force_unicode(val) for val in args]
-                    candidate =  result % dict(zip(params, unicode_args))
+                    candidate =  (prefix_norm + result) % dict(zip(prefix_args + params, unicode_args))
                 else:
-                    if set(kwargs.keys() + defaults.keys()) != set(params + defaults.keys()):
+                    if set(kwargs.keys() + defaults.keys()) != set(params + defaults.keys() + prefix_args):
                         continue
                     matches = True
                     for k, v in defaults.items():
@@ -376,8 +380,8 @@ class RegexURLResolver(LocaleRegexProvider):
                     if not matches:
                         continue
                     unicode_kwargs = dict([(k, force_unicode(v)) for (k, v) in kwargs.items()])
-                    candidate = result % unicode_kwargs
-                if re.search(u'^%s' % pattern, candidate, re.UNICODE):
+                    candidate = (prefix_norm + result) % unicode_kwargs
+                if re.search(u'^%s%s' % (_prefix, pattern), candidate, re.UNICODE):
                     return candidate
         # lookup_view can be URL label, or dotted path, or callable, Any of
         # these can be passed in at the top, but callables are not friendly in
@@ -469,8 +473,7 @@ def reverse(viewname, urlconf=None, args=None, kwargs=None, prefix=None, current
         if ns_pattern:
             resolver = get_ns_resolver(ns_pattern, resolver)
 
-    return iri_to_uri(u'%s%s' %
-                      (prefix, resolver.reverse(view, *args, **kwargs)))
+    return iri_to_uri(resolver._reverse_with_prefix(view, prefix, *args, **kwargs))
 
 reverse_lazy = lazy(reverse, str)
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/namespace_urls.py b/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/namespace_urls.py
index 6f6e8893e7..fa892a4346 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/namespace_urls.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/namespace_urls.py
@@ -44,12 +44,13 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.views',
     (r'^default/', include(default_testobj.urls)),
 
     (r'^other1/', include(otherobj1.urls)),
-    (r'^other2/', include(otherobj2.urls)),
+    (r'^other[246]/', include(otherobj2.urls)),
 
-    (r'^ns-included1/', include('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.included_namespace_urls', namespace='inc-ns1')),
+    (r'^ns-included[135]/', include('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.included_namespace_urls', namespace='inc-ns1')),
     (r'^ns-included2/', include('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.included_namespace_urls', namespace='inc-ns2')),
 
     (r'^included/', include('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.included_namespace_urls')),
+    (r'^inc(?P<outer>\d+)/', include('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.included_urls', namespace='inc-ns5')),
 
     (r'^ns-outer/(?P<outer>\d+)/', include('regressiontests.urlpatterns_reverse.included_namespace_urls', namespace='inc-outer')),
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/tests.py
index 307d8daabb..a5df26f1a1 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/urlpatterns_reverse/tests.py
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ resolve_test_data = (
     # Nested namespaces
     ('/ns-included1/test3/inner/42/37/', 'urlobject-view', 'testapp', 'inc-ns1:test-ns3', 'empty_view', tuple(), {'arg1': '42', 'arg2': '37'}),
     ('/ns-included1/ns-included4/ns-included2/test3/inner/42/37/', 'urlobject-view', 'testapp', 'inc-ns1:inc-ns4:inc-ns2:test-ns3', 'empty_view', tuple(), {'arg1': '42', 'arg2': '37'}),
+
+    # Namespaces capturing variables
+    ('/inc70/', 'inner-nothing', None, 'inc-ns5', views.empty_view, tuple(), {'outer': '70'}),
+    ('/inc78/extra/foobar/', 'inner-extra', None, 'inc-ns5', views.empty_view, tuple(), {'outer':'78', 'extra':'foobar'}),
 )
 
 test_data = (
@@ -379,6 +383,13 @@ class NamespaceTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual('/+%5C$*/included/normal/42/37/', reverse('special:inc-normal-view', kwargs={'arg1':42, 'arg2':37}))
         self.assertEqual('/+%5C$*/included/+%5C$*/', reverse('special:inc-special-view'))
 
+    def test_namespaces_with_variables(self):
+        "Namespace prefixes can capture variables: see #15900"
+        self.assertEqual('/inc70/', reverse('inc-ns5:inner-nothing', kwargs={'outer': '70'}))
+        self.assertEqual('/inc78/extra/foobar/', reverse('inc-ns5:inner-extra', kwargs={'outer':'78', 'extra':'foobar'}))
+        self.assertEqual('/inc70/', reverse('inc-ns5:inner-nothing', args=['70']))
+        self.assertEqual('/inc78/extra/foobar/', reverse('inc-ns5:inner-extra', args=['78','foobar']))
+
 class RequestURLconfTests(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.root_urlconf = settings.ROOT_URLCONF