diff --git a/log4j-1.2-api/src/main/java/org/apache/log4j/Category.java b/log4j-1.2-api/src/main/java/org/apache/log4j/Category.java
index 90857cb5b36..82a6e1be6a2 100644
--- a/log4j-1.2-api/src/main/java/org/apache/log4j/Category.java
+++ b/log4j-1.2-api/src/main/java/org/apache/log4j/Category.java
@@ -307,17 +307,28 @@ private void fireRemoveAppenderEvent(final Appender appender) {
         }
     }
 
+    private static Message createMessage(Object message) {
+        if (message instanceof String) {
+            return new SimpleMessage((String) message);
+        }
+        if (message instanceof CharSequence) {
+            return new SimpleMessage((CharSequence) message);
+        }
+        if (message instanceof Map) {
+            return new MapMessage<>((Map<String, ?>) message);
+        }
+        if (message instanceof Message) {
+            return (Message) message;
+        }
+        return new ObjectMessage(message);
+    }
+
     public void forcedLog(final String fqcn, final Priority level, final Object message, final Throwable t) {
         final org.apache.logging.log4j.Level lvl = org.apache.logging.log4j.Level.toLevel(level.toString());
+        final Message msg = createMessage(message);
         if (logger instanceof ExtendedLogger) {
-            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-            final Message msg = message instanceof Message ? (Message) message
-                : message instanceof Map ? new MapMessage((Map) message) : new ObjectMessage(message);
             ((ExtendedLogger) logger).logMessage(fqcn, lvl, null, msg, t);
         } else {
-            final ObjectRenderer renderer = get(message.getClass());
-            final Message msg = message instanceof Message ? (Message) message
-                : renderer != null ? new RenderedMessage(renderer, message) : new ObjectMessage(message);
             logger.log(lvl, msg, t);
         }
     }
@@ -537,43 +548,25 @@ public void l7dlog(final Priority priority, final String key, final Throwable t)
 
     public void log(final Priority priority, final Object message) {
         if (isEnabledFor(priority)) {
-            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-            final Message msg = message instanceof Map ? new MapMessage((Map) message) : new ObjectMessage(message);
-            forcedLog(FQCN, priority, msg, null);
+            forcedLog(FQCN, priority, message, null);
         }
     }
 
     public void log(final Priority priority, final Object message, final Throwable t) {
         if (isEnabledFor(priority)) {
-            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-            final Message msg = message instanceof Map ? new MapMessage((Map) message) : new ObjectMessage(message);
-            forcedLog(FQCN, priority, msg, t);
+            forcedLog(FQCN, priority, message, t);
         }
     }
 
     public void log(final String fqcn, final Priority priority, final Object message, final Throwable t) {
         if (isEnabledFor(priority)) {
-            final Message msg = new ObjectMessage(message);
-            forcedLog(fqcn, priority, msg, t);
+            forcedLog(fqcn, priority, message, t);
         }
     }
 
     void maybeLog(final String fqcn, final org.apache.logging.log4j.Level level, final Object message, final Throwable throwable) {
         if (logger.isEnabled(level)) {
-            final Message msg;
-            if (message instanceof String) {
-                msg = new SimpleMessage((String) message);
-            }
-            // SimpleMessage treats String and CharSequence differently, hence this else-if block.
-            else if (message instanceof CharSequence) {
-                msg = new SimpleMessage((CharSequence) message);
-            } else if (message instanceof Map) {
-                @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-                final Map<String, ?> map = (Map<String, ?>) message;
-                msg = new MapMessage<>(map);
-            } else {
-                msg = new ObjectMessage(message);
-            }
+            final Message msg = createMessage(message);
             if (logger instanceof ExtendedLogger) {
                 ((ExtendedLogger) logger).logMessage(fqcn, level, null, msg, throwable);
             } else {
diff --git a/log4j-1.2-api/src/test/java/org/apache/log4j/CategoryTest.java b/log4j-1.2-api/src/test/java/org/apache/log4j/CategoryTest.java
index 1bbedfa0520..c2be94c0737 100644
--- a/log4j-1.2-api/src/test/java/org/apache/log4j/CategoryTest.java
+++ b/log4j-1.2-api/src/test/java/org/apache/log4j/CategoryTest.java
@@ -86,18 +86,46 @@ public void testForcedLog() {
         final MockCategory category = new MockCategory("org.example.foo");
         category.setAdditivity(false);
         ((org.apache.logging.log4j.core.Logger) category.getLogger()).addAppender(appender);
+        // Logging a String
         category.info("Hello, World");
-        final List<LogEvent> list = appender.getEvents();
+        List<LogEvent> list = appender.getEvents();
         int events = list.size();
         assertTrue("Number of events should be 1, was " + events, events == 1);
         LogEvent event = list.get(0);
         Message msg = event.getMessage();
         assertNotNull("No message", msg);
-        assertTrue("Incorrect Message type", msg instanceof ObjectMessage);
+        // LOG4J2-3080: use message type consistently
+        assertTrue("Incorrect Message type", msg instanceof SimpleMessage);
+        assertEquals("Hello, World", msg.getFormat());
+        appender.clear();
+        // Logging a String map
+        category.info(Collections.singletonMap("hello", "world"));
+        list = appender.getEvents();
+        events = list.size();
+        assertTrue("Number of events should be 1, was " + events, events == 1);
+        event = list.get(0);
+        msg = event.getMessage();
+        assertNotNull("No message", msg);
+        assertTrue("Incorrect Message type", msg instanceof MapMessage);
         Object[] objects = msg.getParameters();
-        assertTrue("Incorrect Object type", objects[0] instanceof String);
+        assertEquals("world", objects[0]);
         appender.clear();
-        category.log(Priority.INFO, "Hello, World");
+        // Logging a generic map
+        category.info(Collections.singletonMap(1234L, "world"));
+        list = appender.getEvents();
+        events = list.size();
+        assertTrue("Number of events should be 1, was " + events, events == 1);
+        event = list.get(0);
+        msg = event.getMessage();
+        assertNotNull("No message", msg);
+        assertTrue("Incorrect Message type", msg instanceof MapMessage);
+        objects = msg.getParameters();
+        assertEquals("world", objects[0]);
+        appender.clear();
+        // Logging an object
+        final Object obj = new Object();
+        category.info(obj);
+        list = appender.getEvents();
         events = list.size();
         assertTrue("Number of events should be 1, was " + events, events == 1);
         event = list.get(0);
@@ -105,7 +133,18 @@ public void testForcedLog() {
         assertNotNull("No message", msg);
         assertTrue("Incorrect Message type", msg instanceof ObjectMessage);
         objects = msg.getParameters();
-        assertTrue("Incorrect Object type", objects[0] instanceof String);
+        assertEquals(obj, objects[0]);
+        appender.clear();
+
+        category.log(Priority.INFO, "Hello, World");
+        list = appender.getEvents();
+        events = list.size();
+        assertTrue("Number of events should be 1, was " + events, events == 1);
+        event = list.get(0);
+        msg = event.getMessage();
+        assertNotNull("No message", msg);
+        assertTrue("Incorrect Message type", msg instanceof SimpleMessage);
+        assertEquals("Hello, World", msg.getFormat());
         appender.clear();
     }