diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/views/main.py b/django/contrib/admin/views/main.py
index c0e59f9a5fb..42a2f485ca1 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/views/main.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/views/main.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from django.db import models
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 from django.utils.http import urlencode
-from django.utils.translation import ugettext, ugettext_lazy
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext
 
 # Changelist settings
 ALL_VAR = 'all'
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ IGNORED_PARAMS = (
     ALL_VAR, ORDER_VAR, ORDER_TYPE_VAR, SEARCH_VAR, IS_POPUP_VAR, TO_FIELD_VAR)
 
 # Text to display within change-list table cells if the value is blank.
-EMPTY_CHANGELIST_VALUE = ugettext_lazy('(None)')
+EMPTY_CHANGELIST_VALUE = '-'
 
 
 class ChangeList(object):
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.9.txt b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
index b75216fbc6c..00ae10b56b7 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.9.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
@@ -249,6 +249,9 @@ Miscellaneous
 * CSS and images in ``contrib.admin`` to support Internet Explorer 6 & 7 have
   been removed as these browsers have reached end-of-life.
 
+* The text displayed for null columns in the admin changelist ``list_display``
+  cells has changed from ``(None)`` (or its translated equivalent) to ``-``.
+
 * ``django.http.responses.REASON_PHRASES`` and
   ``django.core.handlers.wsgi.STATUS_CODE_TEXT`` have been removed. Use
   Python's stdlib instead: :data:`http.client.responses` for Python 3 and
diff --git a/tests/admin_changelist/tests.py b/tests/admin_changelist/tests.py
index 8e2ac13c2fc..b9e2a5da024 100644
--- a/tests/admin_changelist/tests.py
+++ b/tests/admin_changelist/tests.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class ChangeListTests(TestCase):
         context = Context({'cl': cl})
         table_output = template.render(context)
         link = reverse('admin:admin_changelist_child_change', args=(new_child.id,))
-        row_html = '<tbody><tr class="row1"><th class="field-name"><a href="%s">name</a></th><td class="field-parent nowrap">(None)</td></tr></tbody>' % link
+        row_html = '<tbody><tr class="row1"><th class="field-name"><a href="%s">name</a></th><td class="field-parent nowrap">-</td></tr></tbody>' % link
         self.assertNotEqual(table_output.find(row_html), -1,
             'Failed to find expected row element: %s' % table_output)