diff --git a/core/play/src/main/scala/views/helper/Helpers.scala b/core/play/src/main/scala/views/helper/Helpers.scala
index a0b04073458..9903e4df413 100644
--- a/core/play/src/main/scala/views/helper/Helpers.scala
+++ b/core/play/src/main/scala/views/helper/Helpers.scala
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ package views.html.helper {
       (args.get('_error) match {
         case Some(Some(play.api.data.FormError(_, message, args))) =>
           Some(Seq(p.messages(message, args.map(a => translateMsgArg(a)): _*)))
-        case _ => None
+        case Some(Some(message: String)) => Some(Seq(p.messages(message)))
+        case Some(message: String)       => Some(Seq(p.messages(message)))
+        case _                           => None
       }).getOrElse {
         (if (args.get('_showErrors) match {
                case Some(false) => false
diff --git a/core/play/src/test/scala/views/html/helper/HelpersSpec.scala b/core/play/src/test/scala/views/html/helper/HelpersSpec.scala
index f90b34c8b73..f926c4811d6 100644
--- a/core/play/src/test/scala/views/html/helper/HelpersSpec.scala
+++ b/core/play/src/test/scala/views/html/helper/HelpersSpec.scala
@@ -229,5 +229,31 @@ class HelpersSpec extends Specification {
         "I am the name of the field"
       )
     }
+
+    "correctly display an error when _error is supplied as String" in {
+      inputText.apply(Form(single("foo" -> Forms.text))("foo"), '_error -> "Force an error").body must contain(
+        """<dd class="error">Force an error</dd>"""
+      )
+    }
+
+    "correctly display an error when _error is supplied as Option[String]" in {
+      inputText.apply(Form(single("foo" -> Forms.text))("foo"), '_error -> Option("Force an error")).body must contain(
+        """<dd class="error">Force an error</dd>"""
+      )
+    }
+
+    "correctly display an error when _error is supplied as Option[FormError]" in {
+      inputText
+        .apply(Form(single("foo" -> Forms.text))("foo"), '_error -> Option(FormError("foo", "Force an error")))
+        .body must contain(
+        """<dd class="error">Force an error</dd>"""
+      )
+    }
+
+    "don't display an error when _error is supplied but is None" in {
+      inputText.apply(Form(single("foo" -> Forms.text))("foo"), '_error -> None).body must not contain (
+        """class="error""""
+      )
+    }
   }
 }