diff --git a/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py b/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py
index 7a4defd392..8e25554aea 100644
--- a/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py
+++ b/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def intcomma(value, use_l10n=True):
         except (TypeError, ValueError):
             return intcomma(value, False)
         else:
-            return number_format(value)
+            return number_format(value, force_grouping=True)
     orig = force_unicode(value)
     new = re.sub("^(-?\d+)(\d{3})", '\g<1>,\g<2>', orig)
     if orig == new:
diff --git a/django/utils/formats.py b/django/utils/formats.py
index e176985791..2d8a813825 100644
--- a/django/utils/formats.py
+++ b/django/utils/formats.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def time_format(value, format=None, use_l10n=None):
     """
     return dateformat.time_format(value, get_format(format or 'TIME_FORMAT', use_l10n=use_l10n))
 
-def number_format(value, decimal_pos=None, use_l10n=None):
+def number_format(value, decimal_pos=None, use_l10n=None, force_grouping=False):
     """
     Formats a numeric value using localization settings
 
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ def number_format(value, decimal_pos=None, use_l10n=None):
         decimal_pos,
         get_format('NUMBER_GROUPING', lang, use_l10n=use_l10n),
         get_format('THOUSAND_SEPARATOR', lang, use_l10n=use_l10n),
+        force_grouping=force_grouping
     )
 
 def localize(value, use_l10n=None):
diff --git a/django/utils/numberformat.py b/django/utils/numberformat.py
index 9597cdd063..c6528c0167 100644
--- a/django/utils/numberformat.py
+++ b/django/utils/numberformat.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 
-def format(number, decimal_sep, decimal_pos=None, grouping=0, thousand_sep=''):
+def format(number, decimal_sep, decimal_pos=None, grouping=0, thousand_sep='', force_grouping=False):
     """
     Gets a number (as a number or string), and returns it as a string,
     using formats definied as arguments:
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def format(number, decimal_sep, decimal_pos=None, grouping=0, thousand_sep=''):
     * thousand_sep: Thousand separator symbol (for example ",")
 
     """
-    use_grouping = settings.USE_L10N and \
+    use_grouping = force_grouping or settings.USE_L10N and \
         settings.USE_THOUSAND_SEPARATOR and grouping
     # Make the common case fast:
     if isinstance(number, int) and not use_grouping and not decimal_pos: