diff --git a/django/views/generic/edit.py b/django/views/generic/edit.py
index 33a312709d..ff87f7bd14 100644
--- a/django/views/generic/edit.py
+++ b/django/views/generic/edit.py
@@ -75,7 +75,17 @@ class ModelFormMixin(FormMixin, SingleObjectMixin):
         if self.form_class:
             return self.form_class
         else:
-            model = self.get_queryset().model
+            if self.model is not None:
+                # If a model has been explicitly provided, use it
+                model = self.model
+            elif hasattr(self, 'object') and self.object is not None:
+                # If this view is operating on a single object, use
+                # the class of that object
+                model = self.object.__class__
+            else:
+                # Try to get a queryset and extract the model class
+                # from that
+                model = self.get_queryset().model
             return model_forms.modelform_factory(model)
 
     def get_form_kwargs(self):
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/edit.py b/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/edit.py
index 075cf3e551..923578d9d9 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/edit.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/edit.py
@@ -201,6 +201,25 @@ class UpdateViewTests(TestCase):
         except ImproperlyConfigured:
             pass
 
+    def test_update_get_object(self):
+        a = Author.objects.create(
+            name='Randall Munroe',
+            slug='randall-munroe',
+        )
+        res = self.client.get('/edit/author/update/')
+        self.assertEqual(res.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(res.context['form'], forms.ModelForm))
+        self.assertEqual(res.context['object'], Author.objects.get(pk=a.pk))
+        self.assertEqual(res.context['author'], Author.objects.get(pk=a.pk))
+        self.assertTemplateUsed(res, 'generic_views/author_form.html')
+
+        # Modification with both POST and PUT (browser compatible)
+        res = self.client.post('/edit/author/update/',
+                        {'name': 'Randall Munroe (xkcd)', 'slug': 'randall-munroe'})
+        self.assertEqual(res.status_code, 302)
+        self.assertRedirects(res, 'http://testserver/list/authors/')
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(Author.objects.all(), ['<Author: Randall Munroe (xkcd)>'])
+
 class DeleteViewTests(TestCase):
     urls = 'regressiontests.generic_views.urls'
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/urls.py b/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/urls.py
index e5d75d585c..c06b5d8a23 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/urls.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/urls.py
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('',
         views.NaiveAuthorUpdate.as_view(success_url='/edit/author/%(id)d/update/')),
     (r'^edit/author/(?P<pk>\d+)/update/$',
         views.AuthorUpdate.as_view()),
+    (r'^edit/author/update/$',
+        views.OneAuthorUpdate.as_view()),
     (r'^edit/author/(?P<pk>\d+)/update/special/$',
         views.SpecializedAuthorUpdate.as_view()),
     (r'^edit/author/(?P<pk>\d+)/delete/naive/$',
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/views.py b/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/views.py
index e9be7c7ca9..9d2770cc5b 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/views.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/generic_views/views.py
@@ -114,6 +114,13 @@ class AuthorUpdate(generic.UpdateView):
     success_url = '/list/authors/'
 
 
+class OneAuthorUpdate(generic.UpdateView):
+    success_url = '/list/authors/'
+
+    def get_object(self):
+        return Author.objects.get(pk=1)
+
+
 class SpecializedAuthorUpdate(generic.UpdateView):
     model = Author
     form_class = AuthorForm