diff --git a/django/views/generic/list_detail.py b/django/views/generic/list_detail.py
index 1e39c4d..8c9baf6 100644
--- a/django/views/generic/list_detail.py
+++ b/django/views/generic/list_detail.py
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ def object_list(request, queryset, paginate_by=None, page=None,
     if extra_context is None: extra_context = {}
     queryset = queryset._clone()
     if paginate_by:
+        
+        try:
+            paginate_by = int(paginate_by)
+            if paginate_by < 1:
+                # page sizes less than one don't make sense
+                raise Http404
+        except ValueError:
+            raise Http404
+        
         paginator = Paginator(queryset, paginate_by, allow_empty_first_page=allow_empty)
         if not page:
             page = request.GET.get('page', 1)
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/generic/object_list.py b/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/generic/object_list.py
index 6b1fed0..fecc37a 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/generic/object_list.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/generic/object_list.py
@@ -17,22 +17,43 @@ class ObjectListTest(TestCase):
         return response
         
     def test_finds_pages(self):
-        ""
+        """
+        Test object_list pagination page values
+        """
         
-        # check page count doesn't start at 0
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/page0/', 404)
+        base_url = '/views/object_list/paginate_by2/page%s/'
         
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/page/', 200, )
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/page1/', 200, 2)
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/page2/', 200, 1)
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/pagelast/', 200, 1)
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/pagenotlast/', 404)
+        # Check valid pagination requests.
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % '', 200, )
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 1, 200, 2)
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 2, 200, 1)
         
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list/page3/', 404)
+        # test 'last' special case
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 'last', 200, 1)
         
+        # Check for page numbers higher than maximum and invalid
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 'notlast', 404)
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 3, 404)
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % -1, 404)
+        # check page count doesn't start at 0
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 0, 404)
     
-    def test_no_paginate_by(self):
+    def test_paginate_by(self):
+        """
+        Test object_list paginate_by values.
+        """
+        
+        base_url = '/views/object_list/paginate_by%s/page1/'
         
-        response = self.check_pagination('/views/object_list_no_paginate_by/page1/', 200)
+        
+        response = self.check_pagination(base_url % 1, 200)
+        self.assertEqual(response.context['is_paginated'], True)
+        
+        # Test when pagination is None
+        response = self.check_pagination(base_url % '', 200)
         self.assertEqual(response.context['is_paginated'], False)
-        
\ No newline at end of file
+        
+        # Test invalid pagination values.
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 'spam', 404)
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % -1, 404)
+        self.check_pagination(base_url % 0, 404)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/views/urls.py b/tests/regressiontests/views/urls.py
index 9cf821c..70300c4 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/views/urls.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/views/urls.py
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ date_based_info_dict = {
 
 object_list_dict = {
     'queryset': Article.objects.all(),
-    'paginate_by' : 2,
 }
 
 object_list_no_paginate_by = {
@@ -116,8 +115,8 @@ urlpatterns += patterns('django.views.generic.create_update',
 )
 
 urlpatterns += patterns('django.views.generic.list_detail',
-    (r'^object_list/page(?P<page>[\w]*)/$', 'object_list', object_list_dict),
-    (r'^object_list_no_paginate_by/page(?P<page>[0-9]+)/$', 'object_list', object_list_no_paginate_by),
+    (r'^object_list/paginate_by(?P<paginate_by>[-\w]*)/page(?P<page>[-\w]*)/$', 
+        'object_list', object_list_dict),
 )
 
 # a view that raises an exception for the debug view