diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/BasicsTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/BasicsTest.php
index 8a7c6e88896..40b7762145b 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/BasicsTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/BasicsTest.php
@@ -380,6 +380,14 @@ public function testTranslate() {
 		$expected = 'Some string with multiple arguments';
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
 
+		$result = __('Some string with %s and a null argument', null);
+		$expected = 'Some string with %s and a null argument';
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+
+		$result = __('Some string with multiple %s%s, first beeing null', null, 'arguments');
+		$expected = 'Some string with multiple arguments, first beeing null';
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+
 		$result = __('Some string with %s %s', array('multiple', 'arguments'));
 		$expected = 'Some string with multiple arguments';
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
diff --git a/lib/Cake/basics.php b/lib/Cake/basics.php
index 509dc8f5540..81d028e9307 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/basics.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/basics.php
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ function __($singular, $args = null) {
 
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($singular);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 3) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 1);
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ function __n($singular, $plural, $count, $args = null) {
 
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($singular, $plural, null, I18n::LC_MESSAGES, $count);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 5) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 3);
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ function __d($domain, $msg, $args = null) {
 		}
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($msg, null, $domain);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 4) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 2);
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ function __dn($domain, $singular, $plural, $count, $args = null) {
 		}
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($singular, $plural, $domain, I18n::LC_MESSAGES, $count);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 6) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 4);
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ function __dc($domain, $msg, $category, $args = null) {
 		}
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($msg, null, $domain, $category);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 5) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 3);
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ function __dcn($domain, $singular, $plural, $count, $category, $args = null) {
 		}
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($singular, $plural, $domain, $category, $count);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 7) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 5);
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@ function __c($msg, $category, $args = null) {
 		}
 		App::uses('I18n', 'I18n');
 		$translated = I18n::translate($msg, null, null, $category);
-		if ($args === null) {
+		if ($args === null && func_num_args() < 4) {
 			return $translated;
 		} elseif (!is_array($args)) {
 			$args = array_slice(func_get_args(), 2);