diff --git a/django/contrib/localflavor/uk/forms.py b/django/contrib/localflavor/uk/forms.py
index 7df736444aa..aafe9734db5 100644
--- a/django/contrib/localflavor/uk/forms.py
+++ b/django/contrib/localflavor/uk/forms.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class UKPostcodeField(CharField):
         # Put a single space before the incode (second part).
         postcode = self.space_regex.sub(r' \1', postcode)
         if not self.postcode_regex.search(postcode):
-            raise ValidationError(self.default_error_messages['invalid'])
+            raise ValidationError(self.error_messages['invalid'])
         return postcode
 
 class UKCountySelect(Select):
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/forms/localflavor/uk.py b/tests/regressiontests/forms/localflavor/uk.py
index 258c22e5a95..cd6c8edf849 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/forms/localflavor/uk.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/forms/localflavor/uk.py
@@ -58,4 +58,15 @@ u'BT32 4PX'
 u''
 >>> f.clean('')
 u''
+>>> class MyUKPostcodeField(UKPostcodeField):
+...    default_error_messages = {
+...        'invalid': 'Enter a bloody postcode!',
+...    }
+...
+>>>
+>>> f = MyUKPostcodeField(required=False)
+>>> f.clean('1NV 4L1D')
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+...
+ValidationError: [u'Enter a bloody postcode!']
 """