diff --git a/src/test_eressea.c b/src/test_eressea.c
index 71cf008f2..6d2dead3f 100644
--- a/src/test_eressea.c
+++ b/src/test_eressea.c
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ int RunAllTests(int argc, char *argv[])
     ADD_SUITE(direction);
     ADD_SUITE(skill);
     ADD_SUITE(keyword);
+    ADD_SUITE(message);
     ADD_SUITE(order);
     ADD_SUITE(race);
     /* util */
diff --git a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
index 7eda87132..842bcf58c 100644
--- a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ gamedata.test.c
 language.test.c
 # lists.test.c
 # log.test.c
-# message.test.c
+message.test.c
 # nrmessage.test.c
 parser.test.c
 password.test.c
diff --git a/src/util/message.c b/src/util/message.c
index f76409e53..23f81e095 100644
--- a/src/util/message.c
+++ b/src/util/message.c
@@ -87,19 +87,21 @@ message_type *mt_new(const char *name, const char *args[])
         for (i = 0; args[i]; ++i) {
             const char *x = args[i];
             const char *spos = strchr(x, ':');
-            if (spos == NULL) {
-                mtype->pnames[i] = _strdup(x);
-                mtype->types[i] = NULL;
+            struct arg_type *atype = NULL;
+            if (spos != NULL) {
+                atype = find_argtype(spos + 1);
+            }
+            if (!atype) {
+                log_error("unknown argument type %s for message type %s\n", spos + 1, mtype->name);
+                assert(atype);
             }
             else {
-                char *cp = strncpy((char *)malloc(spos - x + 1), x, spos - x);
+                char *cp;
+                cp = malloc(spos - x + 1);
+                memcpy(cp, x, spos - x);
                 cp[spos - x] = '\0';
                 mtype->pnames[i] = cp;
-                mtype->types[i] = find_argtype(spos + 1);
-                if (mtype->types[i] == NULL) {
-                    log_error("unknown argument type %s for message type %s\n", spos + 1, mtype->name);
-                }
-                assert(mtype->types[i]);
+                mtype->types[i] = atype;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/util/message.test.c b/src/util/message.test.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d114e33f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/message.test.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#include <platform.h>
+#include "message.h"
+
+#include <CuTest.h>
+#include <tests.h>
+
+static void test_mt_new(CuTest *tc)
+{
+    message_type *mt;
+    test_setup();
+    mt = mt_new_va("test", "name:string", "number:int", NULL);
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, mt);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "test", mt->name);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, mt->nparameters);
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, mt->pnames);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "name", mt->pnames[0]);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "number", mt->pnames[1]);
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, mt->types);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "string", mt->types[0]->name);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "int", mt->types[1]->name);
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
+CuSuite *get_message_suite(void)
+{
+    CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_mt_new);
+    return suite;
+}