diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/validation.py b/django/contrib/admin/validation.py
index 48e35c68b3..9b9cefab98 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/validation.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/validation.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def validate(cls, model):
                 if not hasattr(cls, field):
                     if not hasattr(model, field):
                         try:
-                            return opts.get_field(field)
+                            opts.get_field(field)
                         except models.FieldDoesNotExist:
                             raise ImproperlyConfigured("%s.list_display[%d], %r is "
                                 "not a callable or an attribute of %r or found in the model %r."
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/modeladmin/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/modeladmin/models.py
index 0fdd9afdf1..488947ad3e 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/modeladmin/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/modeladmin/models.py
@@ -559,7 +559,8 @@ ImproperlyConfigured: `ValidationTestModelAdmin.list_display` must be a list or
 >>> validate(ValidationTestModelAdmin, ValidationTestModel)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
 ...
-ImproperlyConfigured: `ValidationTestModelAdmin.list_display[0]` refers to `non_existent_field` that is neither a field, method or property of model `ValidationTestModel`.
+ImproperlyConfigured: ValidationTestModelAdmin.list_display[0], 'non_existent_field' is not a callable or an attribute of 'ValidationTestModelAdmin' or found in the model 'ValidationTestModel'.
+
 
 >>> class ValidationTestModelAdmin(ModelAdmin):
 ...     list_display = ('users',)