diff --git a/rest_framework/fields.py b/rest_framework/fields.py
index 2f475d6ea..05daaab76 100644
--- a/rest_framework/fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/fields.py
@@ -477,7 +477,8 @@ class URLField(CharField):
     type_label = 'url'
 
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-        kwargs['validators'] = [validators.URLValidator()]
+        if not 'validators' in kwargs:
+            kwargs['validators'] = [validators.URLValidator()]
         super(URLField, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/rest_framework/tests/test_fields.py b/rest_framework/tests/test_fields.py
index 5c96bce92..e127feef9 100644
--- a/rest_framework/tests/test_fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/tests/test_fields.py
@@ -860,7 +860,9 @@ class SlugFieldTests(TestCase):
 
 class URLFieldTests(TestCase):
     """
-    Tests for URLField attribute values
+    Tests for URLField attribute values.
+
+    (Includes test for #1210, checking that validators can be overridden.)
     """
 
     class URLFieldModel(RESTFrameworkModel):
@@ -902,6 +904,11 @@ class URLFieldTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(getattr(serializer.fields['url_field'],
                          'max_length'), 20)
 
+    def test_validators_can_be_overridden(self):
+        url_field = serializers.URLField(validators=[])
+        validators = url_field.validators
+        self.assertEqual([], validators, 'Passing `validators` kwarg should have overridden default validators')
+
 
 class FieldMetadata(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):