diff --git a/src/give.test.c b/src/give.test.c
index 89d43f75d..249612765 100644
--- a/src/give.test.c
+++ b/src/give.test.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ static void test_give_men_magicians(CuTest * tc) {
 
     p = rpeasants(env.r);
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, msg = disband_men(1, env.dst, NULL));
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person_peasants", (const char *)msg->parameters[0].v);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person_peasants", test_get_messagetype(msg));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.dst->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, p+1, rpeasants(env.r));
     msg_release(msg);
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ static void test_give_men_magicians(CuTest * tc) {
 static void test_give_men_limit(CuTest * tc) {
     struct give env = { 0 };
     message *msg;
+
     test_setup_ex(tc);
     env.f2 = test_create_faction(0);
     env.f1 = test_create_faction(0);
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ static void test_give_men_limit(CuTest * tc) {
     /* below the limit, give men, increase newbies counter */
     usetcontact(env.dst, env.src);
     msg = give_men(1, env.src, env.dst, NULL);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person", (const char *)msg->parameters[0].v);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person", test_get_messagetype(msg));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, env.dst->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.src->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1, env.f2->newbies);
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ static void test_give_men_limit(CuTest * tc) {
     /* beyond the limit, do nothing */
     usetcontact(env.src, env.dst);
     msg = give_men(2, env.dst, env.src, NULL);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "error129", (const char *)msg->parameters[3].v);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "error129", test_get_messagetype(msg));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, env.dst->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.src->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.f1->newbies);
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ static void test_give_men_in_ocean(CuTest * tc) {
     setup_give(&env);
     env.r->terrain = test_create_terrain("ocean", SEA_REGION);
     msg = disband_men(1, env.src, NULL);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person_ocean", (const char *)msg->parameters[0].v);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person_ocean", test_get_messagetype(msg));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.src->number);
     msg_release(msg);
     test_teardown();
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ static void test_give_men_other_faction(CuTest * tc) {
     setup_give(&env);
     usetcontact(env.dst, env.src);
     msg = give_men(1, env.src, env.dst, NULL);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person", (const char *)msg->parameters[0].v);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person", test_get_messagetype(msg));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, env.dst->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.src->number);
     msg_release(msg);
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ static void test_give_peasants(CuTest * tc) {
     setup_give(&env);
     rsetpeasants(env.r, 0);
     msg = disband_men(1, env.src, NULL);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person_peasants", (const char*)msg->parameters[0].v);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "give_person_peasants", test_get_messagetype(msg));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, env.src->number);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1, rpeasants(env.r));
     msg_release(msg);
diff --git a/src/kernel/messages.c b/src/kernel/messages.c
index d61d745c3..4305b67d1 100644
--- a/src/kernel/messages.c
+++ b/src/kernel/messages.c
@@ -148,6 +148,16 @@ struct message *msg_feedback(const struct unit *u, struct order *ord,
     return msg_create(mtype, args);
 }
 
+static message *missing_message(const char *name) {
+    if (strcmp(name, "missing_message") != 0) {
+        if (!mt_find("missing_message")) {
+            mt_register(mt_new_va("missing_message", "name:string", 0));
+        }
+        return msg_message("missing_message", "name", name);
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 message *msg_message(const char *name, const char *sig, ...)
 /* msg_message("oops_error", "unit region command", u, r, cmd) */
 {
@@ -160,16 +170,8 @@ message *msg_message(const char *name, const char *sig, ...)
     memset(args, 0, sizeof(args));
 
     if (!mtype) {
-        log_error("trying to create undefined message of type \"%s\"\n", name);
-#if 0
-        if (strcmp(name, "missing_message") != 0) {
-            if (!mt_find("missing_message")) {
-                mt_register(mt_new_va("missing_message", "name:string", 0));
-            }
-            return msg_message("missing_message", "name", name);
-        }
-#endif
-        return NULL;
+        log_warning("trying to create undefined message of type \"%s\"\n", name);
+        return missing_message(name);
     }
 
     va_start(vargs, sig);
diff --git a/src/laws.test.c b/src/laws.test.c
index d6a969fa6..cca123e39 100644
--- a/src/laws.test.c
+++ b/src/laws.test.c
@@ -875,6 +875,7 @@ static void test_luck_message(CuTest *tc) {
     attrib *a;
 
     test_setup();
+    mt_register(mt_new_va("peasantluck_success", "births:int", 0));
     setup_terrains(tc);
     r = test_create_region(0, 0, NULL);
     rsetpeasants(r, 1);
@@ -899,6 +900,8 @@ static unit * setup_name_cmd(void) {
     faction *f;
 
     test_setup();
+    mt_register(mt_new_va("renamed_building_seen", "renamer:unit", "region:region", "building:building", 0));
+    mt_register(mt_new_va("renamed_building_notseen", "region:region", "building:building", 0));
     f = test_create_faction(0);
     return test_create_unit(f, test_create_region(0, 0, 0));
 }
@@ -1440,6 +1443,7 @@ static void test_show_without_item(CuTest *tc)
     struct locale *loc;
 
     test_setup();
+    mt_register(mt_new_va("displayitem", "weight:int", "item:resource", "description:string", 0));
 
     loc = get_or_create_locale("de");
     locale_setstring(loc, parameters[P_ANY], "ALLE");