diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/options.py b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
index 6a614b80a0..b4fa54af6c 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/options.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
@@ -1308,6 +1308,22 @@ class ModelAdmin(BaseModelAdmin):
             inline_admin_formsets.append(inline_admin_formset)
         return inline_admin_formsets
 
+    def get_changeform_initial_data(self, request):
+        """
+        Get the initial form data.
+        Unless overridden, this populates from the GET params.
+        """
+        initial = dict(request.GET.items())
+        for k in initial:
+            try:
+                f = self.model._meta.get_field(k)
+            except models.FieldDoesNotExist:
+                continue
+            # We have to special-case M2Ms as a list of comma-separated PKs.
+            if isinstance(f, models.ManyToManyField):
+                initial[k] = initial[k].split(",")
+        return initial
+
     @csrf_protect_m
     @transaction.atomic
     def changeform_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
@@ -1358,16 +1374,7 @@ class ModelAdmin(BaseModelAdmin):
                     return self.response_change(request, new_object)
         else:
             if add:
-                # Prepare the dict of initial data from the request.
-                # We have to special-case M2Ms as a list of comma-separated PKs.
-                initial = dict(request.GET.items())
-                for k in initial:
-                    try:
-                        f = opts.get_field(k)
-                    except models.FieldDoesNotExist:
-                        continue
-                    if isinstance(f, models.ManyToManyField):
-                        initial[k] = initial[k].split(",")
+                initial = self.get_changeform_initial_data(request)
                 form = ModelForm(initial=initial)
                 formsets, inline_instances = self._create_formsets(request, self.model())
             else:
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/admin/index.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/admin/index.txt
index 2c852a3ee4..f2fdd39714 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/admin/index.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/admin/index.txt
@@ -1709,6 +1709,21 @@ templates used by the :class:`ModelAdmin` views:
     ``obj_display`` is a string with the name of the deleted
     object.
 
+.. method:: ModelAdmin.get_changeform_initial_data(request)
+
+    .. versionadded:: 1.7
+
+    A hook for the initial data on admin change forms. By default, fields are
+    given initial values from ``GET`` parameters. For instance,
+    ``?name=initial_value`` will set the ``name`` field's initial value to be
+    ``initial_value``.
+
+    This method should return a dictionary in the form
+    ``{'fieldname': 'fieldval'}``::
+
+        def get_changeform_initial_data(self, request):
+            return {'name': 'custom_initial_value'}
+
 Other methods
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.7.txt b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
index f9400032e5..305cf6da66 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.7.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
@@ -308,6 +308,10 @@ Minor features
   <django.contrib.admin.ModelAdmin.list_display>` value by prefixing the
   ``admin_order_field`` value with a hyphen.
 
+* The :meth:`ModelAdmin.get_changeform_initial_data()
+  <django.contrib.admin.ModelAdmin.get_changeform_initial_data>` method may be
+  overridden to define custom behavior for setting initial change form data.
+
 :mod:`django.contrib.auth`
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/tests/admin_views/admin.py b/tests/admin_views/admin.py
index ae625b6a53..e9c6d4dc4c 100644
--- a/tests/admin_views/admin.py
+++ b/tests/admin_views/admin.py
@@ -796,6 +796,10 @@ class RestaurantAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     inlines = [WorkerInlineAdmin]
     view_on_site = False
 
+    def get_changeform_initial_data(self, request):
+        return {'name': 'overridden_value'}
+
+
 site = admin.AdminSite(name="admin")
 site.register(Article, ArticleAdmin)
 site.register(CustomArticle, CustomArticleAdmin)
diff --git a/tests/admin_views/tests.py b/tests/admin_views/tests.py
index 382ef56647..5e4edf6909 100644
--- a/tests/admin_views/tests.py
+++ b/tests/admin_views/tests.py
@@ -765,6 +765,19 @@ class AdminViewFormUrlTest(TestCase):
         self.assertTrue('form_url' in response.context, msg='form_url not present in response.context')
         self.assertEqual(response.context['form_url'], 'pony')
 
+    def testInitialDataCanBeOverridden(self):
+        """
+        Tests that the behavior for setting initial
+        form data can be overridden in the ModelAdmin class.
+
+        Usually, the initial value is set via the GET params.
+        """
+        response = self.client.get('/test_admin/%s/admin_views/restaurant/add/' % self.urlbit, {'name': 'test_value'})
+        # this would be the usual behaviour
+        self.assertNotContains(response, 'value="test_value"')
+        # this is the overridden behaviour
+        self.assertContains(response, 'value="overridden_value"')
+
 
 @override_settings(PASSWORD_HASHERS=('django.contrib.auth.hashers.SHA1PasswordHasher',))
 class AdminJavaScriptTest(TestCase):