diff --git a/pandas/core/index.py b/pandas/core/index.py
index f1921925cd86d..edc369b421461 100644
--- a/pandas/core/index.py
+++ b/pandas/core/index.py
@@ -1542,6 +1542,9 @@ def get_indexer(self, target, method=None):
         if isinstance(target, MultiIndex) and target._is_legacy_format:
             target_index = target.get_tuple_index()
 
+        if target_index.dtype != object:
+            return np.ones(len(target_index)) * -1
+
         self_index = self
         if self._is_legacy_format:
             self_index = self.get_tuple_index()
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_index.py b/pandas/tests/test_index.py
index a9734124f0e39..f05cc205955d9 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_index.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_index.py
@@ -977,6 +977,9 @@ def test_get_indexer(self):
         rexp1 = idx1.get_indexer(idx2)
         assert_almost_equal(r1, rexp1)
 
+        r1 = idx1.get_indexer([1,2,3])
+        self.assert_( (r1 == [-1, -1, -1]).all() )
+
         # self.assertRaises(Exception, idx1.get_indexer,
         #                   list(list(zip(*idx2.get_tuple_index()))[0]))