diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
index 5e3509857b1..e254ef4ad55 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
@@ -620,7 +620,8 @@ class DecimalField(Field):
         try:
             return decimal.Decimal(value)
         except decimal.InvalidOperation:
-            raise validators.ValidationError, ugettext("This value must be a decimal number.")
+            raise validators.ValidationError(
+                _("This value must be a decimal number."))
 
     def _format(self, value):
         if isinstance(value, basestring):
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/__init__.py b/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e279a0669fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/model_fields/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+"""
+>>> from django.db.models.fields import *
+
+# DecimalField
+
+>>> f = DecimalField()
+
+>>> f.to_python(3)
+Decimal("3")
+
+>>> f.to_python("3.14")
+Decimal("3.14")
+
+>>> f.to_python("abc")
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+...
+ValidationError: [u'This value must be a decimal number.']
+"""