diff --git a/django/forms/models.py b/django/forms/models.py
index 88e1ff93f2..56e19e7145 100644
--- a/django/forms/models.py
+++ b/django/forms/models.py
@@ -401,13 +401,14 @@ def modelformset_factory(model, form=ModelForm, formfield_callback=lambda f: f.f
 
 class BaseInlineFormset(BaseModelFormSet):
     """A formset for child objects related to a parent."""
-    def __init__(self, data=None, files=None, instance=None, save_as_new=False):
+    def __init__(self, data=None, files=None, instance=None,
+                 save_as_new=False, prefix=None):
         from django.db.models.fields.related import RelatedObject
         self.instance = instance
         self.save_as_new = save_as_new
         # is there a better way to get the object descriptor?
         self.rel_name = RelatedObject(self.fk.rel.to, self.model, self.fk).get_accessor_name()
-        super(BaseInlineFormset, self).__init__(data, files, prefix=self.rel_name)
+        super(BaseInlineFormset, self).__init__(data, files, prefix=prefix or self.rel_name)
     
     def _construct_forms(self):
         if self.save_as_new:
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/model_formsets/models.py b/tests/modeltests/model_formsets/models.py
index 4a89bc33d7..81355400cf 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/model_formsets/models.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/model_formsets/models.py
@@ -313,4 +313,13 @@ True
 >>> [book for book in formset.save() if book.author.pk == new_author.pk]
 [<Book: Les Fleurs du Mal>, <Book: Le Spleen de Paris>]
 
+Test using a custom prefix on an inline formset.
+
+>>> formset = AuthorBooksFormSet(prefix="test")
+>>> for form in formset.forms:
+...     print form.as_p()
+<p><label for="id_test-0-title">Title:</label> <input id="id_test-0-title" type="text" name="test-0-title" maxlength="100" /><input type="hidden" name="test-0-id" id="id_test-0-id" /></p>
+<p><label for="id_test-1-title">Title:</label> <input id="id_test-1-title" type="text" name="test-1-title" maxlength="100" /><input type="hidden" name="test-1-id" id="id_test-1-id" /></p>
+
+
 """}