diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/filters.py b/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
index 76b8d30c0d..549c15934b 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ certain test -- e.g. being a DateField or ForeignKey.
 import datetime
 
 from django.db import models
-from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
+from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured, ValidationError
 from django.utils.encoding import smart_unicode
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django.utils import timezone
-
 from django.contrib.admin.util import (get_model_from_relation,
     reverse_field_path, get_limit_choices_to_from_path, prepare_lookup_value)
+from django.contrib.admin.options import IncorrectLookupParameters
 
 class ListFilter(object):
     title = None  # Human-readable title to appear in the right sidebar.
@@ -129,7 +129,10 @@ class FieldListFilter(ListFilter):
         return True
 
     def queryset(self, request, queryset):
-        return queryset.filter(**self.used_parameters)
+        try:
+            return queryset.filter(**self.used_parameters)
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            raise IncorrectLookupParameters(e)
 
     @classmethod
     def register(cls, test, list_filter_class, take_priority=False):
@@ -302,7 +305,7 @@ class DateFieldListFilter(FieldListFilter):
         else:       # field is a models.DateField
             today = now.date()
         tomorrow = today + datetime.timedelta(days=1)
-    
+
         self.lookup_kwarg_since = '%s__gte' % field_path
         self.lookup_kwarg_until = '%s__lt' % field_path
         self.links = (
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/admin.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/admin.py
index d9607496c3..3369c557b7 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/admin.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/admin.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class CustomArticleAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
 
 
 class ThingAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
-    list_filter = ('color__warm', 'color__value')
+    list_filter = ('color__warm', 'color__value', 'pub_date',)
 
 
 class InquisitionAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
index 17533f9f80..e158e07603 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/models.py
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ class Color2(Color):
 class Thing(models.Model):
     title = models.CharField(max_length=20)
     color = models.ForeignKey(Color, limit_choices_to={'warm': True})
+    pub_date = models.DateField(blank=True, null=True)
     def __unicode__(self):
         return self.title
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py
index bc66c9bff6..8835e816dc 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_views/tests.py
@@ -456,6 +456,10 @@ class AdminViewBasicTest(TestCase):
         response = self.client.get('/test_admin/%s/admin_views/thing/' % self.urlbit, {'color__id__exact': 'StringNotInteger!'})
         self.assertRedirects(response, '/test_admin/%s/admin_views/thing/?e=1' % self.urlbit)
 
+        # Regression test for #18530
+        response = self.client.get('/test_admin/%s/admin_views/thing/' % self.urlbit, {'pub_date__gte': 'foo'})
+        self.assertRedirects(response, '/test_admin/%s/admin_views/thing/?e=1' % self.urlbit)
+
     def testIsNullLookups(self):
         """Ensure is_null is handled correctly."""
         Article.objects.create(title="I Could Go Anywhere", content="Versatile", date=datetime.datetime.now())