diff --git a/django/core/urlresolvers.py b/django/core/urlresolvers.py
index 6ac406c907..a7c686aec5 100644
--- a/django/core/urlresolvers.py
+++ b/django/core/urlresolvers.py
@@ -27,11 +27,24 @@ class NoReverseMatch(Exception):
     # Don't make this raise an error when used in a template.
     silent_variable_failure = True
 
-def get_callable(lookup_view):
+def get_callable(lookup_view, can_fail=False):
+    """
+    Convert a string version of a function name to the callable object.
+
+    If the lookup_view is not an import path, it is assumed to be a URL pattern
+    label and the original string is returned.
+
+    If can_fail is True, lookup_view might be a URL pattern label, so errors
+    during the import fail and the string is returned.
+    """
     if not callable(lookup_view):
         mod_name, func_name = get_mod_func(lookup_view)
-        if func_name != '':
-            lookup_view = getattr(__import__(mod_name, {}, {}, ['']), func_name)
+        try:
+            if func_name != '':
+                lookup_view = getattr(__import__(mod_name, {}, {}, ['']), func_name)
+        except (ImportError, AttributeError):
+            if not can_fail:
+                raise
     return lookup_view
 get_callable = memoize(get_callable, _callable_cache)
 
@@ -248,7 +261,7 @@ class RegexURLResolver(object):
 
     def reverse(self, lookup_view, *args, **kwargs):
         try:
-            lookup_view = get_callable(lookup_view)
+            lookup_view = get_callable(lookup_view, True)
         except (ImportError, AttributeError):
             raise NoReverseMatch
         if lookup_view in self.reverse_dict:
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
index e983a539ae..8c2389b28a 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
             'url01' : ('{% url regressiontests.templates.views.client client.id %}', {'client': {'id': 1}}, '/url_tag/client/1/'),
             'url02' : ('{% url regressiontests.templates.views.client_action client.id, action="update" %}', {'client': {'id': 1}}, '/url_tag/client/1/update/'),
             'url03' : ('{% url regressiontests.templates.views.index %}', {}, '/url_tag/'),
-            'url04' : ('{% url named-client client.id %}', {'client': {'id': 1}}, '/url_tag/named-client/1/'),
+            'url04' : ('{% url named.client client.id %}', {'client': {'id': 1}}, '/url_tag/named-client/1/'),
 
             # Failures
             'url-fail01' : ('{% url %}', {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/urls.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/urls.py
index eaa9fd5d9f..5fbade5c58 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/urls.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/urls.py
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('',
     (r'^$', views.index),
     (r'^client/(\d+)/$', views.client),
     (r'^client/(\d+)/(?P<action>[^/]+)/$', views.client_action),
-    url(r'^named-client/(\d+)/$', views.client, name="named-client"),
+    url(r'^named-client/(\d+)/$', views.client, name="named.client"),
 )