diff --git a/django/db/models/base.py b/django/db/models/base.py
index dc4b8f0e7b..449c41a3b4 100644
--- a/django/db/models/base.py
+++ b/django/db/models/base.py
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ class Model(object):
                 if name in exclude:
                     break
             else:
-                unique_checks.append(check)
+                unique_checks.append(tuple(check))
 
         # These are checks for the unique_for_<date/year/month>.
         date_checks = []
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/validation/models.py b/tests/modeltests/validation/models.py
index 559658ef6d..dd42936885 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/validation/models.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/validation/models.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class UniqueTogetherModel(models.Model):
     efield = models.EmailField()
 
     class Meta:
-        unique_together = (('ifield', 'cfield',), ('ifield', 'efield'))
+        unique_together = (('ifield', 'cfield',), ['ifield', 'efield'])
 
 class UniqueForDateModel(models.Model):
     start_date = models.DateField()
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/validation/test_unique.py b/tests/modeltests/validation/test_unique.py
index 2d67a0a296..ebda9abe77 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/validation/test_unique.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/validation/test_unique.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class GetUniqueCheckTests(unittest.TestCase):
             m._get_unique_checks()
         )
 
-    def test_unique_together_gets_picked_up(self):
+    def test_unique_together_gets_picked_up_and_converted_to_tuple(self):
         m = UniqueTogetherModel()
         self.assertEqual(
             ([('ifield', 'cfield',),('ifield', 'efield'), ('id',), ], []),