diff --git a/rest_framework/compound_fields.py b/rest_framework/compound_fields.py
index cbdb95988..95c67ddc8 100644
--- a/rest_framework/compound_fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/compound_fields.py
@@ -6,12 +6,6 @@ from .fields import WritableField
 from .serializers import BaseSerializer
 
 
-def field_or_serializer_from_native(field_or_serializer, data):
-    if isinstance(field_or_serializer, BaseSerializer):
-        return field_or_serializer.from_native(data, None)
-    return field_or_serializer.from_native(data)
-
-
 class ListField(WritableField):
     """
     A field whose values are lists of items described by the given item field. The item field can
@@ -23,18 +17,17 @@ class ListField(WritableField):
         self.item_field = item_field
 
     def to_native(self, obj):
-        if obj:
+        if self.item_field and obj:
             return [
-                self.item_field.to_native(item) if self.item_field else item
+                self.item_field.to_native(item)
                 for item in obj
             ]
         return obj
 
     def from_native(self, data):
-        if data:
+        if self.item_field and data:
             return [
-                field_or_serializer_from_native(self.item_field, item_data)
-                if self.item_field else item_data
+                self.item_field.from_native(item_data)
                 for item_data in data
             ]
         return data
@@ -51,21 +44,17 @@ class DictField(WritableField):
         self.value_field = value_field
 
     def to_native(self, obj):
-        if obj:
+        if self.value_field and obj:
             return dict(
-                (key, self.value_field.to_native(value) if self.value_field else value)
+                (unicode(key), self.value_field.to_native(value))
                 for key, value in obj.items()
             )
         return obj
 
     def from_native(self, data):
-        if data:
+        if self.value_field and data:
             return dict(
-                (
-                    unicode(key),
-                    field_or_serializer_from_native(self.value_field, value)
-                    if self.value_field else value
-                )
+                (unicode(key), self.value_field.from_native(value))
                 for key, value in data.items()
             )
         return data
diff --git a/rest_framework/serializers.py b/rest_framework/serializers.py
index 8351b3df6..27db7b962 100644
--- a/rest_framework/serializers.py
+++ b/rest_framework/serializers.py
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ class BaseSerializer(WritableField):
 
         return ret
 
-    def from_native(self, data, files):
+    def from_native(self, data, files=None):
         """
         Deserialize primitives -> objects.
         """