diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 200182b0..9ebc0054 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -72,4 +72,5 @@ that much better:
  * Paul Cunnane
  * Julien Rebetez
  * Marc Tamlyn
+ * Karim Allah
 
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index facb1b99..dbb4a728 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Changelog
 Changes in dev
 ==============
 
+- Added Non-Django Style choices back (you can have either)
 - Fixed __repr__ of a sliced queryset
 - Added recursive validation error of documents / complex fields
 - Fixed breaking during queryset iteration
diff --git a/mongoengine/base.py b/mongoengine/base.py
index ab6ccbee..24a37974 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base.py
@@ -195,14 +195,14 @@ class BaseField(object):
     def _validate(self, value):
 
         # check choices
-        if self.choices is not None:
-    	    if type(choices[0]) is tuple:
-                    option_keys = [option_key for option_key, option_value in self.choices]
-                    if value not in option_keys:
-                        self.error('Value must be one of %s' % unicode(option_keys))
-    	    else:
-    	        if value not in self.choices:
+        if self.choices:
+            if isinstance(self.choices[0], (list, tuple)):
+                option_keys = [option_key for option_key, option_value in self.choices]
+                if value not in option_keys:
                     self.error('Value must be one of %s' % unicode(option_keys))
+            else:
+                if value not in self.choices:
+                    self.error('Value must be one of %s' % unicode(self.choices))
 
         # check validation argument
         if self.validation is not None:
@@ -1051,7 +1051,9 @@ class BaseDocument(object):
     def __get_field_display(self, field):
         """Returns the display value for a choice field"""
         value = getattr(self, field.name)
-        return dict(field.choices).get(value, value)
+        if field.choices and isinstance(field.choices[0], (list, tuple)):
+            return dict(field.choices).get(value, value)
+        return value
 
     def __iter__(self):
         return iter(self._fields)
diff --git a/tests/fields.py b/tests/fields.py
index dd68cb55..3b697917 100644
--- a/tests/fields.py
+++ b/tests/fields.py
@@ -1280,6 +1280,53 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         Shirt.drop_collection()
 
+    def test_simple_choices_validation(self):
+        """Ensure that value is in a container of allowed values.
+        """
+        class Shirt(Document):
+            size = StringField(max_length=3, choices=('S', 'M', 'L', 'XL', 'XXL'))
+
+        Shirt.drop_collection()
+
+        shirt = Shirt()
+        shirt.validate()
+
+        shirt.size = "S"
+        shirt.validate()
+
+        shirt.size = "XS"
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, shirt.validate)
+
+        Shirt.drop_collection()
+
+    def test_simple_choices_get_field_display(self):
+        """Test dynamic helper for returning the display value of a choices field.
+        """
+        class Shirt(Document):
+            size = StringField(max_length=3, choices=('S', 'M', 'L', 'XL', 'XXL'))
+            style = StringField(max_length=3, choices=('Small', 'Baggy', 'wide'), default='Small')
+
+        Shirt.drop_collection()
+
+        shirt = Shirt()
+
+        self.assertEqual(shirt.get_size_display(), None)
+        self.assertEqual(shirt.get_style_display(), 'Small')
+
+        shirt.size = "XXL"
+        shirt.style = "Baggy"
+        self.assertEqual(shirt.get_size_display(), 'XXL')
+        self.assertEqual(shirt.get_style_display(), 'Baggy')
+
+        # Set as Z - an invalid choice
+        shirt.size = "Z"
+        shirt.style = "Z"
+        self.assertEqual(shirt.get_size_display(), 'Z')
+        self.assertEqual(shirt.get_style_display(), 'Z')
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, shirt.validate)
+
+        Shirt.drop_collection()
+
     def test_file_fields(self):
         """Ensure that file fields can be written to and their data retrieved
         """