diff --git a/model/DataObject.php b/model/DataObject.php
index 0950fef4f..3f10f4a63 100644
--- a/model/DataObject.php
+++ b/model/DataObject.php
@@ -3333,7 +3333,7 @@ class DataObject extends ViewableData implements DataObjectInterface, i18nEntity
 	 *
 	 * @return array
 	 */
-	public function summaryFields(){
+	public function summaryFields() {
 		$fields = $this->stat('summary_fields');
 
 		// if fields were passed in numeric array,
@@ -3357,9 +3357,13 @@ class DataObject extends ViewableData implements DataObjectInterface, i18nEntity
 
 		// Localize fields (if possible)
 		foreach($this->fieldLabels(false) as $name => $label) {
-			if(isset($fields[$name])) $fields[$name] = $label;
+			// only attempt to localize if the label definition is the same as the field name.
+			// this will preserve any custom labels set in the summary_fields configuration
+			if(isset($fields[$name]) && $name === $fields[$name]) {
+				$fields[$name] = $label;
+			}
 		}
-		
+
 		return $fields;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/model/DataObjectTest.php b/tests/model/DataObjectTest.php
index bbd76436b..6f235ea75 100644
--- a/tests/model/DataObjectTest.php
+++ b/tests/model/DataObjectTest.php
@@ -682,7 +682,24 @@ class DataObjectTest extends SapphireTest {
 		$fields = $testObj->searchableFields();
 		$this->assertEmpty($fields);
 	}
-	
+
+	public function testSummaryFieldsCustomLabels() {
+		$team = $this->objFromFixture('DataObjectTest_Team', 'team1');
+		$summaryFields = $team->summaryFields();
+
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			'Custom Title',
+			$summaryFields['Title'],
+			'Custom title is preserved'
+		);
+
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			'Captain\'s shirt number',
+			$summaryFields['Captain.ShirtNumber'],
+			'Custom title on relation is preserved'
+		);
+	}
+
 	public function testDataObjectUpdate() {
 		/* update() calls can use the dot syntax to reference has_one relations and other methods that return
 		 * objects */
@@ -1263,6 +1280,7 @@ class DataObjectTest_Team extends DataObject implements TestOnly {
 	);
 
 	private static $summary_fields = array(
+		'Title' => 'Custom Title',
 		'Title.UpperCase' => 'Title',
 		'Captain.ShirtNumber' => 'Captain\'s shirt number',
 		'Captain.FavouriteTeam.Title' => 'Captain\'s favourite team'