diff --git a/rest_framework/fields.py b/rest_framework/fields.py
index 3ca7d682e..812a35ac2 100644
--- a/rest_framework/fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/fields.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import copy
 import datetime
 import decimal
 import inspect
+import itertools
 import re
 import uuid
 
@@ -1098,17 +1099,8 @@ class ChoiceField(Field):
     }
 
     def __init__(self, choices, **kwargs):
-        # Allow either single or paired choices style:
-        # choices = [1, 2, 3]
-        # choices = [(1, 'First'), (2, 'Second'), (3, 'Third')]
-        pairs = [
-            isinstance(item, (list, tuple)) and len(item) == 2
-            for item in choices
-        ]
-        if all(pairs):
-            self.choices = OrderedDict([(key, display_value) for key, display_value in choices])
-        else:
-            self.choices = OrderedDict([(item, item) for item in choices])
+        flat_choices = [self.flatten_choice(c) for c in choices]
+        self.choices = OrderedDict(itertools.chain(*flat_choices))
 
         # Map the string representation of choices to the underlying value.
         # Allows us to deal with eg. integer choices while supporting either
@@ -1121,6 +1113,30 @@ class ChoiceField(Field):
 
         super(ChoiceField, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
+    def flatten_choice(self, choice):
+        """
+        Convert a choices choice into a flat list of choices.
+
+        Returns a list of choices.
+        """
+
+        # Allow single, paired or grouped choices style:
+        # choices = [1, 2, 3]
+        # choices = [(1, 'First'), (2, 'Second'), (3, 'Third')]
+        # choices = [('Category', ((1, 'First'), (2, 'Second'))), (3, 'Third')]
+        if (not isinstance(choice, (list, tuple))):
+            # single choice
+            return [(choice, choice)]
+        else:
+            key, display_value = choice
+            if isinstance(display_value, (list, tuple)):
+                # grouped choices
+                sub_choices = [self.flatten_choice(c) for c in display_value]
+                return list(itertools.chain(*sub_choices))
+            else:
+                # paired choice
+                return [(key, display_value)]
+
     def to_internal_value(self, data):
         if data == '' and self.allow_blank:
             return ''
diff --git a/tests/test_fields.py b/tests/test_fields.py
index 76e6d9d60..3bd4afc6e 100644
--- a/tests/test_fields.py
+++ b/tests/test_fields.py
@@ -1091,6 +1091,66 @@ class TestChoiceFieldWithListChoices(FieldValues):
     field = serializers.ChoiceField(choices=('poor', 'medium', 'good'))
 
 
+class TestChoiceFieldWithGroupedChoices(FieldValues):
+    """
+    Valid and invalid values for a `Choice` field that uses a grouped list for the
+    choices, rather than a list of pairs of (`value`, `description`).
+    """
+    valid_inputs = {
+        'poor': 'poor',
+        'medium': 'medium',
+        'good': 'good',
+    }
+    invalid_inputs = {
+        'awful': ['"awful" is not a valid choice.']
+    }
+    outputs = {
+        'good': 'good'
+    }
+    field = serializers.ChoiceField(
+        choices=[
+            (
+                'Category',
+                (
+                    ('poor', 'Poor quality'),
+                    ('medium', 'Medium quality'),
+                ),
+            ),
+            ('good', 'Good quality'),
+        ]
+    )
+
+
+class TestChoiceFieldWithMixedChoices(FieldValues):
+    """
+    Valid and invalid values for a `Choice` field that uses a single paired or
+    grouped.
+    """
+    valid_inputs = {
+        'poor': 'poor',
+        'medium': 'medium',
+        'good': 'good',
+    }
+    invalid_inputs = {
+        'awful': ['"awful" is not a valid choice.']
+    }
+    outputs = {
+        'good': 'good'
+    }
+    field = serializers.ChoiceField(
+        choices=[
+            (
+                'Category',
+                (
+                    ('poor', 'Poor quality'),
+                ),
+            ),
+            'medium',
+            ('good', 'Good quality'),
+        ]
+    )
+
+
 class TestMultipleChoiceField(FieldValues):
     """
     Valid and invalid values for `MultipleChoiceField`.
diff --git a/tests/test_validation.py b/tests/test_validation.py
index 46e36f5d8..855ff20e0 100644
--- a/tests/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/test_validation.py
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ class TestMaxValueValidatorValidation(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
 
 
+# regression tests for issue: 1533
+
 class TestChoiceFieldChoicesValidate(TestCase):
     CHOICES = [
         (0, 'Small'),
@@ -148,6 +150,8 @@ class TestChoiceFieldChoicesValidate(TestCase):
         (2, 'Large'),
     ]
 
+    SINGLE_CHOICES = [0, 1, 2]
+
     CHOICES_NESTED = [
         ('Category', (
             (1, 'First'),
@@ -157,6 +161,15 @@ class TestChoiceFieldChoicesValidate(TestCase):
         (4, 'Fourth'),
     ]
 
+    MIXED_CHOICES = [
+        ('Category', (
+            (1, 'First'),
+            (2, 'Second'),
+        )),
+        3,
+        (4, 'Fourth'),
+    ]
+
     def test_choices(self):
         """
         Make sure a value for choices works as expected.
@@ -168,6 +181,39 @@ class TestChoiceFieldChoicesValidate(TestCase):
         except serializers.ValidationError:
             self.fail("Value %s does not validate" % str(value))
 
+    def test_single_choices(self):
+        """
+        Make sure a single value for choices works as expected.
+        """
+        f = serializers.ChoiceField(choices=self.SINGLE_CHOICES)
+        value = self.SINGLE_CHOICES[0]
+        try:
+            f.to_internal_value(value)
+        except serializers.ValidationError:
+            self.fail("Value %s does not validate" % str(value))
+
+    def test_nested_choices(self):
+        """
+        Make sure a nested value for choices works as expected.
+        """
+        f = serializers.ChoiceField(choices=self.CHOICES_NESTED)
+        value = self.CHOICES_NESTED[0][1][0][0]
+        try:
+            f.to_internal_value(value)
+        except serializers.ValidationError:
+            self.fail("Value %s does not validate" % str(value))
+
+    def test_mixed_choices(self):
+        """
+        Make sure mixed values for choices works as expected.
+        """
+        f = serializers.ChoiceField(choices=self.MIXED_CHOICES)
+        value = self.MIXED_CHOICES[1]
+        try:
+            f.to_internal_value(value)
+        except serializers.ValidationError:
+            self.fail("Value %s does not validate" % str(value))
+
 
 class RegexSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
     pin = serializers.CharField(