diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
index 7f79e2f4ffc5..7296a098ee0e 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
@@ -1408,6 +1408,7 @@ public function resolveEnvPlaceholders($value, $format = null, array &$usedEnvs
         }
         $envPlaceholders = $bag instanceof EnvPlaceholderParameterBag ? $bag->getEnvPlaceholders() : $this->envPlaceholders;
 
+        $completed = false;
         foreach ($envPlaceholders as $env => $placeholders) {
             foreach ($placeholders as $placeholder) {
                 if (false !== stripos($value, $placeholder)) {
@@ -1418,14 +1419,19 @@ public function resolveEnvPlaceholders($value, $format = null, array &$usedEnvs
                     }
                     if ($placeholder === $value) {
                         $value = $resolved;
+                        $completed = true;
                     } else {
                         if (!is_string($resolved) && !is_numeric($resolved)) {
-                            throw new RuntimeException(sprintf('A string value must be composed of strings and/or numbers, but found parameter "env(%s)" of type %s inside string value "%s".', $env, gettype($resolved), $value));
+                            throw new RuntimeException(sprintf('A string value must be composed of strings and/or numbers, but found parameter "env(%s)" of type %s inside string value "%s".', $env, gettype($resolved), $this->resolveEnvPlaceholders($value)));
                         }
                         $value = str_ireplace($placeholder, $resolved, $value);
                     }
                     $usedEnvs[$env] = $env;
                     $this->envCounters[$env] = isset($this->envCounters[$env]) ? 1 + $this->envCounters[$env] : 1;
+
+                    if ($completed) {
+                        break 2;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php
index 51038b6b1550..f2e8368455f6 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php
@@ -665,17 +665,49 @@ public function testCompileWithResolveEnv()
         putenv('DUMMY_ENV_VAR');
     }
 
+    public function testCompileWithArrayResolveEnv()
+    {
+        putenv('ARRAY={"foo":"bar"}');
+
+        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $container->setParameter('foo', '%env(json:ARRAY)%');
+        $container->compile(true);
+
+        $this->assertSame(array('foo' => 'bar'), $container->getParameter('foo'));
+
+        putenv('ARRAY');
+    }
+
+    public function testCompileWithArrayAndAnotherResolveEnv()
+    {
+        putenv('DUMMY_ENV_VAR=abc');
+        putenv('ARRAY={"foo":"bar"}');
+
+        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $container->setParameter('foo', '%env(json:ARRAY)%');
+        $container->setParameter('bar', '%env(DUMMY_ENV_VAR)%');
+        $container->compile(true);
+
+        $this->assertSame(array('foo' => 'bar'), $container->getParameter('foo'));
+        $this->assertSame('abc', $container->getParameter('bar'));
+
+        putenv('DUMMY_ENV_VAR');
+        putenv('ARRAY');
+    }
+
     /**
      * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Exception\RuntimeException
-     * @expectedExceptionMessage A string value must be composed of strings and/or numbers, but found parameter "env(ARRAY)" of type array inside string value "ABC %env(ARRAY)%".
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage A string value must be composed of strings and/or numbers, but found parameter "env(json:ARRAY)" of type array inside string value "ABC %env(json:ARRAY)%".
      */
-    public function testCompileWithArrayResolveEnv()
+    public function testCompileWithArrayInStringResolveEnv()
     {
-        $bag = new TestingEnvPlaceholderParameterBag();
-        $container = new ContainerBuilder($bag);
-        $container->setParameter('foo', '%env(ARRAY)%');
-        $container->setParameter('bar', 'ABC %env(ARRAY)%');
+        putenv('ARRAY={"foo":"bar"}');
+
+        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $container->setParameter('foo', 'ABC %env(json:ARRAY)%');
         $container->compile(true);
+
+        putenv('ARRAY');
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1418,11 +1450,3 @@ public function __construct(A $a)
     {
     }
 }
-
-class TestingEnvPlaceholderParameterBag extends EnvPlaceholderParameterBag
-{
-    public function get($name)
-    {
-        return 'env(array)' === strtolower($name) ? array(123) : parent::get($name);
-    }
-}