diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base.py
index 61c89fbf2b..bbf38b0242 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/base.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class BaseSpatialOperations(object):
     geography_operators = {}
     geography_functions = {}
     gis_terms = {}
+    truncate_params = {}
 
     # Quick booleans for the type of this spatial backend, and
     # an attribute for the spatial database version tuple (if applicable)
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/oracle/operations.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/oracle/operations.py
index 4599904c63..b444bb2899 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/oracle/operations.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/oracle/operations.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class SDORelate(SpatialFunction):
     "Class for using SDO_RELATE."
     masks = 'TOUCH|OVERLAPBDYDISJOINT|OVERLAPBDYINTERSECT|EQUAL|INSIDE|COVEREDBY|CONTAINS|COVERS|ANYINTERACT|ON'
     mask_regex = re.compile(r'^(%s)(\+(%s))*$' % (masks, masks), re.I)
-    sql_template = "%(function)s(%(geo_col)s, %(geometry)s, 'mask=%(mask)s)' = 'TRUE'"
+    sql_template = "%(function)s(%(geo_col)s, %(geometry)s, 'mask=%(mask)s') = 'TRUE'"
     relate_func = 'SDO_RELATE'
     def __init__(self, mask):
         if not self.mask_regex.match(mask):
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ class OracleOperations(DatabaseOperations, BaseSpatialOperations):
     gis_terms += geometry_functions.keys()
     gis_terms = dict([(term, None) for term in gis_terms])
 
+    truncate_params = {'relate' : None}
+
     def __init__(self, connection):
         super(OracleOperations, self).__init__()
         self.connection = connection
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/models/fields.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/models/fields.py
index 0a78ce2292..0fd4c8b14d 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/models/fields.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/models/fields.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class GeometryField(Field):
             except GeometryException:
                 raise ValueError('Could not create geometry from lookup value.')
         else:
-            raise ValueError('Cannot use parameter of `%s` type as lookup parameter.' % type(value))
+            raise ValueError('Cannot use object with type %s for a geometry lookup parameter.' % type(geom).__name__)
 
         # Assigning the SRID value.
         geom.srid = self.get_srid(geom)
@@ -228,6 +228,10 @@ class GeometryField(Field):
                 if lookup_type in connection.ops.distance_functions:
                     # Getting the distance parameter in the units of the field.
                     params += self.get_distance(value[1:], lookup_type, connection)
+                elif lookup_type in connection.ops.truncate_params:
+                    # Lookup is one where SQL parameters aren't needed from the
+                    # given lookup value.
+                    pass
                 else:
                     params += value[1:]
             elif isinstance(value, SQLEvaluator):
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/tests/geoapp/tests.py b/django/contrib/gis/tests/geoapp/tests.py
index a3f8fb1b01..24a7c1c02f 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/tests/geoapp/tests.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/tests/geoapp/tests.py
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ class GeoModelTest(TestCase):
     @no_mysql
     def test15_relate(self):
         "Testing the 'relate' lookup type."
-        return
         # To make things more interesting, we will have our Texas reference point in
         # different SRIDs.
         pnt1 = fromstr('POINT (649287.0363174 4177429.4494686)', srid=2847)
@@ -434,7 +433,7 @@ class GeoModelTest(TestCase):
 
         # Not passing in a geometry as first param shoud
         # raise a type error when initializing the GeoQuerySet
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, Country.objects.filter(mpoly__relate=(23, 'foo')).count)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, Country.objects.filter, mpoly__relate=(23, 'foo'))
 
         # Making sure the right exception is raised for the given
         # bad arguments.