diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/related_lookups.py b/django/db/models/fields/related_lookups.py
index 5454031c2af..de2564fb0d0 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/related_lookups.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/related_lookups.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class RelatedLookupMixin(object):
             # ForeignKey to IntegerField given value 'abc'. The ForeignKey itself
             # doesn't have validation for non-integers, so we must run validation
             # using the target field.
-            if hasattr(self.lhs.output_field, 'get_path_info'):
+            if self.prepare_rhs and hasattr(self.lhs.output_field, 'get_path_info'):
                 # Get the target field. We can safely assume there is only one
                 # as we don't get to the direct value branch otherwise.
                 target_field = self.lhs.output_field.get_path_info()[-1].target_fields[-1]
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.10.1.txt b/docs/releases/1.10.1.txt
index d5bfcac2bdc..8f0756bb9eb 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.10.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.10.1.txt
@@ -26,3 +26,6 @@ Bugfixes
 
 * Fixed a crash if ``request.META['CONTENT_LENGTH']`` is an empty string
   (:ticket:`27005`).
+
+* Fixed the ``isnull`` lookup on a ``ForeignKey`` with its ``to_field``
+  pointing to a ``CharField`` (:ticket:`26983`).
diff --git a/tests/queries/tests.py b/tests/queries/tests.py
index e40ab1fa583..fdfd1b57251 100644
--- a/tests/queries/tests.py
+++ b/tests/queries/tests.py
@@ -2483,6 +2483,19 @@ class ToFieldTests(TestCase):
             [node1]
         )
 
+    def test_isnull_query(self):
+        apple = Food.objects.create(name="apple")
+        Eaten.objects.create(food=apple, meal="lunch")
+        Eaten.objects.create(meal="lunch")
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            Eaten.objects.filter(food__isnull=False),
+            ['<Eaten: apple at lunch>']
+        )
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            Eaten.objects.filter(food__isnull=True),
+            ['<Eaten: None at lunch>']
+        )
+
 
 class ConditionalTests(BaseQuerysetTest):
     """Tests whose execution depend on different environment conditions like