diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 7837ea713..ae0044a51 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@ $.validator.format = function( source, params ) {
 			return $.validator.format.apply( this, args );
 		};
 	}
+	if ( params === undefined ) {
+		return source;
+	}
 	if ( arguments.length > 2 && params.constructor !== Array  ) {
 		params = $.makeArray( arguments ).slice( 1 );
 	}
@@ -739,26 +742,29 @@ $.extend( $.validator, {
 			return undefined;
 		},
 
-		defaultMessage: function( element, method ) {
-			return this.findDefined(
-				this.customMessage( element.name, method ),
-				this.customDataMessage( element, method ),
-
-				// 'title' is never undefined, so handle empty string as undefined
-				!this.settings.ignoreTitle && element.title || undefined,
-				$.validator.messages[ method ],
-				"<strong>Warning: No message defined for " + element.name + "</strong>"
-			);
-		},
+		defaultMessage: function( element, rule ) {
+			var message = this.findDefined(
+					this.customMessage( element.name, rule.method ),
+					this.customDataMessage( element, rule.method ),
 
-		formatAndAdd: function( element, rule ) {
-			var message = this.defaultMessage( element, rule.method ),
+					// 'title' is never undefined, so handle empty string as undefined
+					!this.settings.ignoreTitle && element.title || undefined,
+					$.validator.messages[ rule.method ],
+					"<strong>Warning: No message defined for " + element.name + "</strong>"
+				),
 				theregex = /\$?\{(\d+)\}/g;
 			if ( typeof message === "function" ) {
 				message = message.call( this, rule.parameters, element );
 			} else if ( theregex.test( message ) ) {
 				message = $.validator.format( message.replace( theregex, "{$1}" ), rule.parameters );
 			}
+
+			return message;
+		},
+
+		formatAndAdd: function( element, rule ) {
+			var message = this.defaultMessage( element, rule );
+
 			this.errorList.push( {
 				message: message,
 				element: element,
@@ -1004,7 +1010,7 @@ $.extend( $.validator, {
 			return $.data( element, "previousValue" ) || $.data( element, "previousValue", {
 				old: null,
 				valid: true,
-				message: this.defaultMessage( element, "remote" )
+				message: this.defaultMessage( element, { method: "remote" } )
 			} );
 		},
 
@@ -1393,8 +1399,8 @@ $.extend( $.validator, {
 						validator.showErrors();
 					} else {
 						errors = {};
-						message = response || validator.defaultMessage( element, "remote" );
-						errors[ element.name ] = previous.message = $.isFunction( message ) ? message( value ) : message;
+						message = response || validator.defaultMessage( element, { method: "remote", parameters: value } );
+						errors[ element.name ] = previous.message = message;
 						validator.invalid[ element.name ] = true;
 						validator.showErrors( errors );
 					}
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index 737da587d..db6e6689c 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -387,6 +387,10 @@ <h3></h3>
 		<label for="testForm21!#$%&'()*+,./:;<=>?@[\]^`{|}~">Input text</label>
 		<input type="text" name="testForm21!#$%&'()*+,./:;<=>?@[\]^`{|}~" id="testForm21!#$%&'()*+,./:;<=>?@[\]^`{|}~" required minlength="15">
 	</form>
+	<form id="testForm22">
+		<label for="tF22Input">Input text</label>
+		<input type="text" name="tF22Input" id="tF22Input" required minlength="5" data-msg-minlength="You should enter at least {0} characters.">
+	</form>
 	<form id="contenteditableForm">
 		<div contenteditable id="contenteditableNumberInvalid" data-rule-number="true" name="field1">ABC</div>
 		<div contenteditable id="contenteditableNumberValid" data-rule-number="true" name="field2">123</div>
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 8561f6f33..9df5c5eac 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -637,7 +637,17 @@ test( "option: errorClass with multiple classes", function() {
 
 test( "defaultMessage(), empty title is ignored", function() {
 	var v = $( "#userForm" ).validate();
-	equal( v.defaultMessage( $( "#username" )[ 0 ], "required" ), "This field is required." );
+	equal( v.defaultMessage( $( "#username" )[ 0 ], { method: "required", parameters: true } ), "This field is required." );
+} );
+
+test( "#741: move message processing from formatAndAdd to defaultMessage", function() {
+	var v = $( "#testForm22" ).validate();
+	equal( v.defaultMessage( $( "#tF22Input" )[ 0 ], { method: "minlength", parameters: 5 } ),
+		"You should enter at least 5 characters.", "defaultMessage() now format the messages" );
+
+	$( "#tF22Input" ).val( "abc" );
+	v.form();
+	equal( v.errorList[ 0 ].message, "You should enter at least 5 characters." );
 } );
 
 test( "formatAndAdd", function() {