diff --git a/src/common/util/nrmessage.c b/src/common/util/nrmessage.c
index 9e2407e9a..c5e13cfe0 100644
--- a/src/common/util/nrmessage.c
+++ b/src/common/util/nrmessage.c
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ nrt_register(const struct message_type * mtype, const struct locale * lang, cons
       c+= strlen(strcpy(c, mtype->pnames[i]));
     }
     nrt->vars = strdup(zNames);
-    /* TODO: really necessary to strdup them all? here? better to extend the caller? hash? */
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/util/translation.c b/src/common/util/translation.c
index 51ca8f925..2ee2b38b0 100644
--- a/src/common/util/translation.c
+++ b/src/common/util/translation.c
@@ -383,10 +383,17 @@ translate(const char* format, const void * userdata, const char* vars, variant a
     }
   }
 
-  if (parse(&stack, format, userdata)==NULL) return NULL;
-  rv = (const char*)opop(&stack).v;
-  free(stack->begin);
-  free(stack);
+  if (format[0]=='"') {
+    rv = parse(&stack, format, userdata);
+  }
+  else {
+    rv = parse_string(&stack, format, userdata);
+  }
+  if (rv!=NULL) {
+    rv = (const char*)opop(&stack).v;
+    free(stack->begin);
+    free(stack);
+  }
   return rv;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/res/messages.xml b/src/res/messages.xml
index 48c11a878..dce3168e1 100644
--- a/src/res/messages.xml
+++ b/src/res/messages.xml
@@ -1967,9 +1967,8 @@
       <arg name="mage" type="unit"/>
       <arg name="amount" type="int"/>
     </type>
-    <text locale="de">"$if($isnull($mage),"Ein unentdeckter Magier",$unit($mage)) erschuf einen heiligen Hain von $int($amount) Schößlingen."</text>
-    <text locale="fr">$if($isnull($mage),"An unknown magician ",$unit($mage)) created a holy forest of $int($amount) young trees."</text>
-    <text locale="en">$if($isnull($mage),"An unknown magician ",$unit($mage)) created a holy forest of $int($amount) young trees."</text>
+    <text locale="de">$if($isnull($mage),"Ein unentdeckter Magier",$unit($mage)) erschuf einen heiligen Hain von $int($amount) Schößlingen.</text>
+    <text locale="en">$if($isnull($mage),"An unknown magician ",$unit($mage)) created a holy forest of $int($amount) young trees.</text>
   </message>
   <message name="harvest_effect" section="magic">
     <type>