diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index e5d43deaae..cd02cd261a 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ answer newbie questions, and generally made Django that much better:
     Antonio Cavedoni <http://cavedoni.com/>
     C8E
     Amit Chakradeo <http://amit.chakradeo.net/>
+    ChaosKCW
     Matt Croydon <http://www.postneo.com/>
     Jonathan Daugherty (cygnus) <http://www.cprogrammer.org/>
     Jason Davies (Esaj) <http://www.jasondavies.com/>
diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
index fb5e44e986..4c66e364ad 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ from django.utils.text import capfirst
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy, ngettext
 import datetime, os
 
-# Random entropy string used by "default" param.
-NOT_PROVIDED = 'oijpwojefiojpanv'
+class NOT_PROVIDED:
+    pass
 
 # Values for filter_interface.
 HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL = 1, 2
@@ -158,11 +158,11 @@ class Field(object):
 
     def has_default(self):
         "Returns a boolean of whether this field has a default value."
-        return self.default != NOT_PROVIDED
+        return self.default is not NOT_PROVIDED
 
     def get_default(self):
         "Returns the default value for this field."
-        if self.default != NOT_PROVIDED:
+        if self.default is not NOT_PROVIDED:
             if callable(self.default):
                 return self.default()
             return self.default
diff --git a/django/views/generic/create_update.py b/django/views/generic/create_update.py
index 7c4a6426a6..f1baa96bb9 100644
--- a/django/views/generic/create_update.py
+++ b/django/views/generic/create_update.py
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ def create_object(request, model, template_name=None,
 def update_object(request, model, object_id=None, slug=None,
         slug_field=None, template_name=None, template_loader=loader,
         extra_lookup_kwargs={}, extra_context={}, post_save_redirect=None,
-        login_required=False, follow=None, context_processors=None):
+        login_required=False, follow=None, context_processors=None,
+        template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic object-update function.
 
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ def update_object(request, model, object_id=None, slug=None,
     t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
     c = RequestContext(request, {
         'form': form,
-        'object': object,
+        template_object_name: object,
     }, context_processors)
     for key, value in extra_context.items():
         if callable(value):
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ def update_object(request, model, object_id=None, slug=None,
 def delete_object(request, model, post_delete_redirect,
         object_id=None, slug=None, slug_field=None, template_name=None,
         template_loader=loader, extra_lookup_kwargs={}, extra_context={},
-        login_required=False, context_processors=None):
+        login_required=False, context_processors=None, template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic object-delete function.
 
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ def delete_object(request, model, post_delete_redirect,
             template_name = "%s/%s_confirm_delete" % (model._meta.app_label, model._meta.object_name.lower())
         t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
         c = RequestContext(request, {
-            'object': object,
+            template_object_name: object,
         }, context_processors)
         for key, value in extra_context.items():
             if callable(value):
diff --git a/django/views/generic/date_based.py b/django/views/generic/date_based.py
index bfb6c42882..5946f720be 100644
--- a/django/views/generic/date_based.py
+++ b/django/views/generic/date_based.py
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ def archive_year(request, year, queryset, date_field, template_name=None,
 
 def archive_month(request, year, month, queryset, date_field,
         month_format='%b', template_name=None, template_loader=loader,
-        extra_context={}, allow_empty=False, context_processors=None):
+        extra_context={}, allow_empty=False, context_processors=None,
+        template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic monthly archive view.
 
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ def archive_month(request, year, month, queryset, date_field,
         template_name = "%s/%s_archive_month" % (model._meta.app_label, model._meta.object_name.lower())
     t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
     c = RequestContext(request, {
-        'object_list': object_list,
+        '%s_list' % template_object_name: object_list,
         'month': date,
         'next_month': (last_day < datetime.date.today()) and (last_day + datetime.timedelta(days=1)) or None,
         'previous_month': first_day - datetime.timedelta(days=1),
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ def archive_month(request, year, month, queryset, date_field,
 def archive_day(request, year, month, day, queryset, date_field,
         month_format='%b', day_format='%d', template_name=None,
         template_loader=loader, extra_context={}, allow_empty=False,
-        context_processors=None):
+        context_processors=None, template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic daily archive view.
 
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ def archive_day(request, year, month, day, queryset, date_field,
         template_name = "%s/%s_archive_day" % (model._meta.app_label, model._meta.object_name.lower())
     t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
     c = RequestContext(request, {
-        'object_list': object_list,
+        '%s_list' % template_object_name: object_list,
         'day': date,
         'previous_day': date - datetime.timedelta(days=1),
         'next_day': (date < datetime.date.today()) and (date + datetime.timedelta(days=1)) or None,
@@ -196,7 +197,8 @@ def archive_today(request, **kwargs):
 def object_detail(request, year, month, day, queryset, date_field,
         month_format='%b', day_format='%d', object_id=None, slug=None,
         slug_field=None, template_name=None, template_name_field=None,
-        template_loader=loader, extra_context={}, context_processors=None):
+        template_loader=loader, extra_context={}, context_processors=None,
+        template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic detail view from year/month/day/slug or year/month/day/id structure.
 
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ def object_detail(request, year, month, day, queryset, date_field,
     else:
         t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
     c = RequestContext(request, {
-        'object': obj,
+        template_object_name: obj,
     }, context_processors)
     for key, value in extra_context.items():
         if callable(value):
diff --git a/django/views/generic/list_detail.py b/django/views/generic/list_detail.py
index b5e26873ca..6184a57603 100644
--- a/django/views/generic/list_detail.py
+++ b/django/views/generic/list_detail.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist
 
 def object_list(request, queryset, paginate_by=None, allow_empty=False,
         template_name=None, template_loader=loader,
-        extra_context={}, context_processors=None):
+        extra_context={}, context_processors=None, template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic list of objects.
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def object_list(request, queryset, paginate_by=None, allow_empty=False,
             else:
                 raise Http404
         c = RequestContext(request, {
-            'object_list': object_list,
+            '%s_list' % template_object_name: object_list,
             'is_paginated': paginator.pages > 1,
             'results_per_page': paginate_by,
             'has_next': paginator.has_next_page(page - 1),
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def object_list(request, queryset, paginate_by=None, allow_empty=False,
         }, context_processors)
     else:
         c = RequestContext(request, {
-            'object_list': queryset,
+            '%s_list' % template_object_name: queryset,
             'is_paginated': False
         }, context_processors)
         if not allow_empty and len(queryset) == 0:
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def object_list(request, queryset, paginate_by=None, allow_empty=False,
 def object_detail(request, queryset, object_id=None, slug=None,
         slug_field=None, template_name=None, template_name_field=None,
         template_loader=loader, extra_context={},
-        context_processors=None):
+        context_processors=None, template_object_name='object'):
     """
     Generic list of objects.
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ def object_detail(request, queryset, object_id=None, slug=None,
     else:
         t = template_loader.get_template(template_name)
     c = RequestContext(request, {
-        'object': obj,
+        template_object_name: obj,
     }, context_processors)
     for key, value in extra_context.items():
         if callable(value):
diff --git a/docs/generic_views.txt b/docs/generic_views.txt
index 90f40646ee..68c32bf92b 100644
--- a/docs/generic_views.txt
+++ b/docs/generic_views.txt
@@ -189,6 +189,10 @@ The date-based generic functions are:
 
     Takes an optional ``allow_empty`` parameter, as ``archive_index``.
 
+    **New in Django development version:** Takes an optional
+    ``template_object_name`` parameter, which designates the name of the
+    template variable to use. Default is ``'object'``.
+
     Uses the template ``<app_label>/<model_name>_archive_month`` by default.
 
     Has the following template context:
@@ -203,7 +207,11 @@ The date-based generic functions are:
             **New in Django development version.** The first day of the
             previous month (a datetime.date object)
         ``object_list``
-            List of objects published in the given month
+            List of objects published in the given month.
+            In the Django development version, you can change this variable
+            name from ``object_list`` by using the ``template_object_name``
+            parameter. (See above.) For example, if ``template_object_name`` is
+            ``foo``, the variable will be ``foo_list``.
 
 ``archive_day``
     Daily archive. Requires that ``year``, ``month``, and ``day`` arguments be
@@ -213,12 +221,20 @@ The date-based generic functions are:
     also pass ``day_format``, which defaults to ``"%d"`` (day of the month as a
     decimal number, 1-31).
 
+    **New in Django development version:** Takes an optional
+    ``template_object_name`` parameter, which designates the name of the
+    template variable to use. Default is ``'object'``.
+
     Uses the template ``<app_label>/<model_name>_archive_day`` by default.
 
     Has the following template context:
 
         ``object_list``
-            List of objects published this day
+            List of objects published on the given day.
+            In the Django development version, you can change this variable
+            name from ``object_list`` by using the ``template_object_name``
+            parameter. (See above.) For example, if ``template_object_name`` is
+            ``foo``, the variable will be ``foo_list``.
         ``day``
             The given day (a datetime.datetime object)
         ``previous_day``
@@ -250,6 +266,10 @@ The date-based generic functions are:
     As in ``archive_day``, ``object_detail`` takes optional ``month_format``
     and ``day_format`` parameters.
 
+    **New in Django development version:** Takes an optional
+    ``template_object_name`` parameter, which designates the name of the
+    template variable to use. Default is ``'object'``.
+
 .. _strftime docs: http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/module-time.html#l2h-1941
 
 Using list/detail generic views
@@ -281,6 +301,9 @@ Individual views are:
         ``allow_empty``          If ``False`` and there are no objects to display,
                                  the view will raise a 404 instead of displaying
                                  an empty index page. ``False`` is default.
+        ``template_object_name`` **New in Django development version.** Designates
+                                 the name of the object template variable. Default
+                                 is ``'object'``.
         =======================  =================================================
 
     Uses the template ``<app_label>/<model_name>_list`` by default.
@@ -288,7 +311,11 @@ Individual views are:
     Has the following template context:
 
         ``object_list``
-            List of objects
+            List of objects. In the Django development version, you can change
+            this variable name from ``object_list`` by using the
+            ``template_object_name`` parameter. (See above.) For example, if
+            ``template_object_name`` is ``foo``, the variable will be
+            ``foo_list``.
         ``is_paginated``
             Are the results paginated? Either True or False
 
@@ -358,6 +385,10 @@ The create/update/delete views are:
     ``list_detail.object_detail`` does (see above), and the same
     ``post_save_redirect`` as ``create_object`` does.
 
+    **New in Django development version:** Takes an optional
+    ``template_object_name`` parameter, which designates the name of the
+    template variable to use. Default is ``'object'``.
+
     Uses the template ``<app_label>/<model_name>_form`` by default.
 
     Has the following template context:
@@ -365,7 +396,11 @@ The create/update/delete views are:
         form
             The form wrapper for the object
         object
-            The original object being edited
+            The original object being edited.
+            In the Django development version, you can change this variable
+            name from ``object`` by using the ``template_object_name``
+            parameter. (See above.) For example, if ``template_object_name`` is
+            ``foo``, the variable will be ``foo`` instead of ``object``.
 
 ``delete_object``
     Delete an existing object. The given object will only actually be deleted
@@ -380,7 +415,15 @@ The create/update/delete views are:
     ``<app_label>/<model_name>_confirm_delete`` by default. It uses no template
     if POSTed -- it simply deletes the object and redirects.
 
+    **New in Django development version:** Takes an optional
+    ``template_object_name`` parameter, which designates the name of the
+    template variable to use. Default is ``'object'``.
+
     Has the following template context:
 
         object
             The object about to be deleted
+            In the Django development version, you can change this variable
+            name from ``object`` by using the ``template_object_name``
+            parameter. (See above.) For example, if ``template_object_name`` is
+            ``foo``, the variable will be ``foo`` instead of ``object``.