diff --git a/rest_framework/relations.py b/rest_framework/relations.py
index 42abf3ca7..4ecf795cb 100644
--- a/rest_framework/relations.py
+++ b/rest_framework/relations.py
@@ -493,8 +493,9 @@ class HyperlinkedIdentityField(Field):
         self.view_name = kwargs.pop('view_name', None)
         # Optionally the format of the target hyperlink may be specified
         self.format = kwargs.pop('format', None)
-
-        self.lookup_field = kwargs.pop('lookup_field', self.lookup_field)
+        lookup_field = kwargs.pop('lookup_field', None)
+        if lookup_field is not None:
+            self.lookup_field = lookup_field
 
         # These are pending deprecation
         if 'pk_url_kwarg' in kwargs:
diff --git a/rest_framework/serializers.py b/rest_framework/serializers.py
index 3e5c366ec..4dde0d7c1 100644
--- a/rest_framework/serializers.py
+++ b/rest_framework/serializers.py
@@ -907,6 +907,8 @@ class HyperlinkedModelSerializer(ModelSerializer):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(HyperlinkedModelSerializer, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        lookup_field = self.opts.lookup_field
+        self.fields['url'] = HyperlinkedIdentityField(lookup_field=lookup_field)
         if self.opts.view_name is None:
             self.opts.view_name = self._get_default_view_name(self.opts.model)
 
diff --git a/rest_framework/tests/test_routers.py b/rest_framework/tests/test_routers.py
index c73f5e726..fc3a87e99 100644
--- a/rest_framework/tests/test_routers.py
+++ b/rest_framework/tests/test_routers.py
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
+from django.db import models
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test.client import RequestFactory
-from rest_framework.response import Response
-from rest_framework import viewsets
+from rest_framework import serializers, viewsets
+from rest_framework.compat import include, patterns, url
 from rest_framework.decorators import link, action
+from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.routers import SimpleRouter
 
 factory = RequestFactory()
 
+urlpatterns = patterns('',)
+
 
 class BasicViewSet(viewsets.ViewSet):
     def list(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -49,3 +53,62 @@ class TestSimpleRouter(TestCase):
             else:
                 method_map = 'get'
             self.assertEqual(route.mapping[method_map], endpoint)
+
+
+class RouterTestModel(models.Model):
+    uuid = models.CharField(max_length=20)
+    text = models.CharField(max_length=200)
+
+
+class TestCustomLookupFields(TestCase):
+    """
+    Ensure that custom lookup fields are correctly routed.
+    """
+    urls = 'rest_framework.tests.test_routers'
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        class NoteSerializer(serializers.HyperlinkedModelSerializer):
+            class Meta:
+                model = RouterTestModel
+                lookup_field = 'uuid'
+                fields = ('url', 'uuid', 'text')
+
+        class NoteViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
+            queryset = RouterTestModel.objects.all()
+            serializer_class = NoteSerializer
+            lookup_field = 'uuid'
+
+        RouterTestModel.objects.create(uuid='123', text='foo bar')
+
+        self.router = SimpleRouter()
+        self.router.register(r'notes', NoteViewSet)
+
+        from rest_framework.tests import test_routers
+        urls = getattr(test_routers, 'urlpatterns')
+        urls += patterns('',
+            url(r'^', include(self.router.urls)),
+        )
+
+    def test_custom_lookup_field_route(self):
+        detail_route = self.router.urls[-1]
+        detail_url_pattern = detail_route.regex.pattern
+        self.assertIn('<uuid>', detail_url_pattern)
+
+    def test_retrieve_lookup_field_list_view(self):
+        response = self.client.get('/notes/')
+        self.assertEquals(response.data,
+            [{
+                "url": "http://testserver/notes/123/",
+                "uuid": "123", "text": "foo bar"
+            }]
+        )
+
+    def test_retrieve_lookup_field_detail_view(self):
+        response = self.client.get('/notes/123/')
+        self.assertEquals(response.data,
+            {
+                "url": "http://testserver/notes/123/",
+                "uuid": "123", "text": "foo bar"
+            }
+        )
+