diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py b/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
index b90f5ecd79..3c1bef3f9e 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from django import forms
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.admin.util import flatten_fieldsets, lookup_field
-from django.contrib.admin.util import display_for_field, label_for_field
+from django.contrib.admin.util import display_for_field, label_for_field, help_text_for_field
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.core.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist
 from django.db.models.fields.related import ManyToManyRel
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ class AdminReadonlyField(object):
             'name': class_name,
             'label': label,
             'field': field,
+            'help_text': help_text_for_field(class_name, form._meta.model)
         }
         self.form = form
         self.model_admin = model_admin
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/includes/fieldset.html b/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/includes/fieldset.html
index addfd0854c..6363aeeee4 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/includes/fieldset.html
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/includes/fieldset.html
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
                             {{ field.field }}
                         {% endif %}
                     {% endif %}
-                    {% if field.field.field.help_text %}
-                        <p class="help">{{ field.field.field.help_text|safe }}</p>
+                    {% if field.field.help_text %}
+                        <p class="help">{{ field.field.help_text|safe }}</p>
                     {% endif %}
                 </div>
             {% endfor %}
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/util.py b/django/contrib/admin/util.py
index 1c39614200..d3f17d67d4 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/util.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/util.py
@@ -266,6 +266,13 @@ def label_for_field(name, model, model_admin=None, return_attr=False):
     else:
         return label
 
+def help_text_for_field(name, model):
+    try:
+        help_text = model._meta.get_field_by_name(name)[0].help_text
+    except models.FieldDoesNotExist:
+        help_text = ""
+    return smart_unicode(help_text)
+
 
 def display_for_field(value, field):
     from django.contrib.admin.templatetags.admin_list import _boolean_icon
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
index b601267e57..58a545a64a 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
@@ -523,9 +523,12 @@ class LinkInline(admin.TabularInline):
 
 
 class Post(models.Model):
-    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
-    content = models.TextField()
-    posted = models.DateField(default=datetime.date.today)
+    title = models.CharField(max_length=100, help_text="Some help text for the title (with unicode ŠĐĆŽćžšđ)")
+    content = models.TextField(help_text="Some help text for the content (with unicode ŠĐĆŽćžšđ)")
+    posted = models.DateField(
+            default=datetime.date.today,
+            help_text="Some help text for the date (with unicode ŠĐĆŽćžšđ)"
+    )
     public = models.NullBooleanField()
 
     def awesomeness_level(self):
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py
index 2685a05caa..f77c64bd21 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py
@@ -2453,6 +2453,10 @@ class ReadonlyTest(TestCase):
         self.assertContains(response, '<div class="form-row posted">')
         self.assertContains(response, '<div class="form-row value">')
         self.assertContains(response, '<div class="form-row ">')
+        self.assertContains(response, '<p class="help">', 3)
+        self.assertContains(response, '<p class="help">Some help text for the title (with unicode ŠĐĆŽćžšđ)</p>')
+        self.assertContains(response, '<p class="help">Some help text for the content (with unicode ŠĐĆŽćžšđ)</p>')
+        self.assertContains(response, '<p class="help">Some help text for the date (with unicode ŠĐĆŽćžšđ)</p>')
 
         p = Post.objects.create(title="I worked on readonly_fields", content="Its good stuff")
         response = self.client.get('/test_admin/admin/admin_views/post/%d/' % p.pk)