diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/filters.py b/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
index b64445e..76b8d30 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/filters.py
@@ -155,7 +155,10 @@ class FieldListFilter(ListFilter):
 class RelatedFieldListFilter(FieldListFilter):
     def __init__(self, field, request, params, model, model_admin, field_path):
         other_model = get_model_from_relation(field)
-        rel_name = other_model._meta.pk.name
+        if hasattr(field, 'rel'):
+            rel_name = field.rel.get_related_field().name
+        else:
+            rel_name = other_model._meta.pk.name
         self.lookup_kwarg = '%s__%s__exact' % (field_path, rel_name)
         self.lookup_kwarg_isnull = '%s__isnull' % field_path
         self.lookup_val = request.GET.get(self.lookup_kwarg, None)
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/options.py b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
index 73c2958..2071792 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/options.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/options.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class BaseModelAdmin(object):
         # if foo has been specificially included in the lookup list; so
         # drop __id if it is the last part. However, first we need to find
         # the pk attribute name.
-        pk_attr_name = None
+        rel_name = None
         for part in parts[:-1]:
             try:
                 field, _, _, _ = model._meta.get_field_by_name(part)
@@ -255,13 +255,13 @@ class BaseModelAdmin(object):
                 return True
             if hasattr(field, 'rel'):
                 model = field.rel.to
-                pk_attr_name = model._meta.pk.name
+                rel_name = field.rel.get_related_field().name
             elif isinstance(field, RelatedObject):
                 model = field.model
-                pk_attr_name = model._meta.pk.name
+                rel_name = model._meta.pk.name
             else:
-                pk_attr_name = None
-        if pk_attr_name and len(parts) > 1 and parts[-1] == pk_attr_name:
+                rel_name = None
+        if rel_name and len(parts) > 1 and parts[-1] == rel_name:
             parts.pop()
 
         if len(parts) == 1:
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py
index 2fa6e66..deb8ee8 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/models.py
@@ -13,3 +13,18 @@ class Book(models.Model):
 
     def __unicode__(self):
         return self.title
+
+
+class Department(models.Model):
+    code = models.CharField(max_length=4, unique=True)
+    description = models.CharField(max_length=50, blank=True, null=True)
+
+    def __unicode__(self):
+        return self.description
+
+class Employee(models.Model):
+    department = models.ForeignKey(Department, to_field="code")
+    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)
+
+    def __unicode__(self):
+        return self.name
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py
index b42dfd7..d87c447 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_filters/tests.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import datetime
 
 from django.contrib.admin import (site, ModelAdmin, SimpleListFilter,
     BooleanFieldListFilter)
-from django.contrib.admin.options import IncorrectLookupParameters
 from django.contrib.admin.views.main import ChangeList
 from django.contrib.auth.admin import UserAdmin
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ from django.test import TestCase, RequestFactory
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
 from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode
 
-from .models import Book
+from .models import Book, Department, Employee
 
 
 def select_by(dictlist, key, value):
@@ -113,6 +112,9 @@ class DecadeFilterBookAdminParameterEndsWith__In(ModelAdmin):
 class DecadeFilterBookAdminParameterEndsWith__Isnull(ModelAdmin):
     list_filter = (DecadeListFilterParameterEndsWith__Isnull,)
 
+class EmployeeAdmin(ModelAdmin):
+    list_display = ['name', 'department']
+    list_filter = ['department']
 
 
 class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
@@ -633,4 +635,64 @@ class ListFiltersTests(TestCase):
         choices = list(filterspec.choices(changelist))
         self.assertEqual(choices[2]['display'], u'the 1990\'s')
         self.assertEqual(choices[2]['selected'], True)
-        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['query_string'], '?decade__isnull=the+90s')
\ No newline at end of file
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['query_string'], '?decade__isnull=the+90s')
+
+    def test_fk_with_to_field(self):
+        """
+        Ensure that a filter on a FK respects the FK's to_field attribute.
+        Refs #17972.
+        """
+        modeladmin = EmployeeAdmin(Employee, site)
+
+        dev = Department.objects.create(code='DEV', description='Development')
+        design = Department.objects.create(code='DSN', description='Design')
+        john = Employee.objects.create(name='John Blue', department=dev)
+        jack = Employee.objects.create(name='Jack Red', department=design)
+
+        request = self.request_factory.get('/', {})
+        changelist = self.get_changelist(request, Employee, modeladmin)
+
+        # Make sure the correct queryset is returned
+        queryset = changelist.get_query_set(request)
+        self.assertEqual(list(queryset), [john, jack])
+
+        filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][-1]
+        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'department')
+        choices = list(filterspec.choices(changelist))
+
+        self.assertEqual(choices[0]['display'], u'All')
+        self.assertEqual(choices[0]['selected'], True)
+        self.assertEqual(choices[0]['query_string'], '?')
+
+        self.assertEqual(choices[1]['display'], u'Development')
+        self.assertEqual(choices[1]['selected'], False)
+        self.assertEqual(choices[1]['query_string'], '?department__code__exact=DEV')
+
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['display'], u'Design')
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['selected'], False)
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['query_string'], '?department__code__exact=DSN')
+
+        # Filter by Department=='Development' --------------------------------
+
+        request = self.request_factory.get('/', {'department__code__exact': 'DEV'})
+        changelist = self.get_changelist(request, Employee, modeladmin)
+
+        # Make sure the correct queryset is returned
+        queryset = changelist.get_query_set(request)
+        self.assertEqual(list(queryset), [john])
+
+        filterspec = changelist.get_filters(request)[0][-1]
+        self.assertEqual(force_unicode(filterspec.title), u'department')
+        choices = list(filterspec.choices(changelist))
+
+        self.assertEqual(choices[0]['display'], u'All')
+        self.assertEqual(choices[0]['selected'], False)
+        self.assertEqual(choices[0]['query_string'], '?')
+
+        self.assertEqual(choices[1]['display'], u'Development')
+        self.assertEqual(choices[1]['selected'], True)
+        self.assertEqual(choices[1]['query_string'], '?department__code__exact=DEV')
+
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['display'], u'Design')
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['selected'], False)
+        self.assertEqual(choices[2]['query_string'], '?department__code__exact=DSN')
