diff --git a/django/core/exceptions.py b/django/core/exceptions.py
index 78f6d07cf3..cf4aea0f36 100644
--- a/django/core/exceptions.py
+++ b/django/core/exceptions.py
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ class ValidationError(Exception):
 
     @property
     def message_dict(self):
+        # Trigger an AttributeError if this ValidationError
+        # doesn't have an error_dict.
+        getattr(self, 'error_dict')
+
         return dict(self)
 
     @property