diff --git a/gluon/tests/test_validators.py b/gluon/tests/test_validators.py
index 34e8b09d..96123ea8 100644
--- a/gluon/tests/test_validators.py
+++ b/gluon/tests/test_validators.py
@@ -232,7 +232,19 @@ class TestValidators(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(sorted(rtn), [('%d' % george_id, 'george'), ('%d' % costanza_id, 'costanza')])
         rtn = IS_IN_DB(db, db.person.id, db.person.name, error_message='oops', sort=True).options(zero=True)
         self.assertEqual(rtn, [('', ''), ('%d' % costanza_id, 'costanza'), ('%d' % george_id, 'george')])
+        # Test it works with self reference
+        db.define_table('category',
+            Field('parent_id', 'reference category', requires=IS_EMPTY_OR(IS_IN_DB(db, 'category.id', '%(name)s'))),
+            Field('name')
+        )
+        ret = db.category.validate_and_insert(name='seinfeld')
+        self.assertFalse(list(ret.errors))
+        ret = db.category.validate_and_insert(name='characters', parent_id=ret.id)
+        self.assertFalse(list(ret.errors))
+        rtn = IS_IN_DB(db, 'category.id', '%(name)s')(ret.id)
+        self.assertEqual(rtn, (ret.id, None))
         db.person.drop()
+        db.category.drop()
 
     def test_IS_NOT_IN_DB(self):
         from gluon.dal import DAL, Field
diff --git a/gluon/validators.py b/gluon/validators.py
index 050c3a9c..21a60e23 100644
--- a/gluon/validators.py
+++ b/gluon/validators.py
@@ -523,8 +523,8 @@ class IS_IN_DB(Validator):
             field = field._id
         elif isinstance(field, str):
             items = field.split('.')
-            if len(items)==1: items+=['id']
-            field = self.dbset.db[items[0]][items[1]]
+            if len(items)==1:
+                field = items[0] + '.id'
 
         (ktable, kfield) = str(field).split('.')
         if not label:
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ class IS_IN_DB(Validator):
             fieldnames = '*'
         else:
             raise NotImplementedError
-        self.field = field # the lookup field
+
         self.fieldnames = fieldnames # fields requires to build the formatting
         self.label = label
         self.ktable = ktable
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ class IS_IN_DB(Validator):
             else:
                 values = []
 
-            if self.field.type in ('id','integer'):
+            if field.type in ('id','integer'):
                 new_values = []
                 for value in values:
                     if not (isinstance(value,(int,long)) or value.isdigit()):
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ class IS_IN_DB(Validator):
                 elif count(values) == len(values):
                     return (values, None)
         else:
-            if self.field.type in ('id','integer'):
+            if field.type in ('id','integer'):
                 if isinstance(value,(int,long)) or value.isdigit():
                     value = int(value)
                 elif self.auto_add: