diff --git a/phpBB/includes/session.php b/phpBB/includes/session.php
index 808d1a4a7f..401cb0d371 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/session.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/session.php
@@ -1862,6 +1862,11 @@ class user extends session
 			$args[0] = $lang;
 			return call_user_func_array('sprintf', $args);
 		}
+		else if (sizeof($lang) == 0)
+		{
+			// If the language entry is an empty array, we just return the language key
+			return $args[0];
+		}
 
 		// It is an array... now handle different nullar/singular/plural forms
 		$key_found = false;
diff --git a/tests/user/lang_test.php b/tests/user/lang_test.php
index 36933a84d2..ee1be3c323 100644
--- a/tests/user/lang_test.php
+++ b/tests/user/lang_test.php
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class phpbb_user_lang_test extends phpbb_test_case
 				1		=> '1 post',		// 1.x
 				2		=> '%1$.1f posts',	// 0.x, 2+.x
 			),
+			'ARRY_EMPTY'	=> array(
+			),
 			'dateformat'	=> array(
 				'AGO'	=> array(
 					1	=> '%d second',
@@ -69,6 +71,9 @@ class phpbb_user_lang_test extends phpbb_test_case
 		$this->assertEquals($user->lang('ARRY', 2), '2 posts');
 		$this->assertEquals($user->lang('ARRY', 123), '123 posts');
 
+		// Empty array returns the language key
+		$this->assertEquals($user->lang('ARRY_EMPTY', 123), 'ARRY_EMPTY');
+
 		// No 0 key defined
 		$this->assertEquals($user->lang('ARRY_NO_ZERO', 0), '0 posts');
 		$this->assertEquals($user->lang('ARRY_NO_ZERO', 1), '1 post');