diff --git a/django/core/validators.py b/django/core/validators.py
index 95224e9..20d08f4 100644
--- a/django/core/validators.py
+++ b/django/core/validators.py
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ email_re = re.compile(
     r'|\[(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\d|[0-1]?\d?\d)(\.(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\d|[0-1]?\d?\d)){3}\]$', re.IGNORECASE)  # literal form, ipv4 address (SMTP 4.1.3)
 validate_email = EmailValidator(email_re, _(u'Enter a valid e-mail address.'), 'invalid')
 
-slug_re = re.compile(r'^[-\w]+$')
-validate_slug = RegexValidator(slug_re, _(u"Enter a valid 'slug' consisting of letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens."), 'invalid')
+slug_re = re.compile(r'^[-\w]+$', re.U)
+validate_slug = RegexValidator(slug_re, _(u"Enter a valid 'slug' consisting of unicode letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens."), 'invalid')
 
 ipv4_re = re.compile(r'^(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\d|[0-1]?\d?\d)(\.(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\d|[0-1]?\d?\d)){3}$')
 validate_ipv4_address = RegexValidator(ipv4_re, _(u'Enter a valid IPv4 address.'), 'invalid')
diff --git a/docs/ref/validators.txt b/docs/ref/validators.txt
index 0f29989..2759c7d 100644
--- a/docs/ref/validators.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/validators.txt
@@ -118,10 +118,12 @@ to, or in lieu of custom ``field.clean()`` methods.
 
 ``validate_slug``
 -----------------
+.. versionadded:: 1.4
+
 .. data:: validate_slug
 
     A :class:`RegexValidator` instance that ensures a value consists of only
-    letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens.
+    unicode letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens.
 
 ``validate_ipv4_address``
 -------------------------
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/validators/tests.py b/tests/modeltests/validators/tests.py
index a1a48bf..dc6f567 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/validators/tests.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/validators/tests.py
@@ -38,12 +38,13 @@ TEST_DATA = (
     (validate_slug, 'longer-slug-still-ok', None),
     (validate_slug, '--------', None),
     (validate_slug, 'nohyphensoranything', None),
+    (validate_slug, '你好', None),
 
     (validate_slug, '', ValidationError),
     (validate_slug, ' text ', ValidationError),
     (validate_slug, ' ', ValidationError),
     (validate_slug, 'some@mail.com', ValidationError),
-    (validate_slug, '你好', ValidationError),
+    (validate_slug, '你 好', ValidationError),
     (validate_slug, '\n', ValidationError),
 
     (validate_ipv4_address, '1.1.1.1', None),