diff --git a/django/forms/fields.py b/django/forms/fields.py
index 53250cc8a991..3811510326ba 100644
--- a/django/forms/fields.py
+++ b/django/forms/fields.py
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ def _get_regex(self):
 
     def _set_regex(self, regex):
         if isinstance(regex, basestring):
-            regex = re.compile(regex)
+            regex = re.compile(regex, re.UNICODE)
         self._regex = regex
         if hasattr(self, '_regex_validator') and self._regex_validator in self.validators:
             self.validators.remove(self._regex_validator)
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/forms/tests/fields.py b/tests/regressiontests/forms/tests/fields.py
index d66ee2c08484..c4a8a9a3fa24 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/forms/tests/fields.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/forms/tests/fields.py
@@ -478,6 +478,14 @@ def test_regexfield_5(self):
         self.assertRaisesMessage(ValidationError, "[u'Ensure this value has at most 10 characters (it has 11).']", f.clean, '12345678901')
         self.assertRaisesMessage(ValidationError, "[u'Enter a valid value.']", f.clean, '12345a')
 
+    def test_regexfield_6(self):
+        """
+        Ensure that it works with unicode characters.
+        Refs #.
+        """
+        f = RegexField('^\w+$')
+        self.assertEqual(u'éèøçÎÎ你好', f.clean(u'éèøçÎÎ你好'))
+
     def test_change_regex_after_init(self):
         f = RegexField('^[a-z]+$')
         f.regex = '^\d+$'