diff --git a/PHPUnit/Framework/ExpectationFailedException.php b/PHPUnit/Framework/ExpectationFailedException.php
index 2173c477655..de275ad08bd 100644
--- a/PHPUnit/Framework/ExpectationFailedException.php
+++ b/PHPUnit/Framework/ExpectationFailedException.php
@@ -71,11 +71,13 @@ class PHPUnit_Framework_ExpectationFailedException extends PHPUnit_Framework_Ass
 {
     protected $comparisonFailure;
     protected $description;
+    protected $customMessage;
 
     public function __construct($description, PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure $comparisonFailure = NULL, $message = '')
     {
         $this->description       = $description;
         $this->comparisonFailure = $comparisonFailure;
+        $this->customMessage     = $message;
 
         if (!empty($message)) {
             $description .= "\n" . $message;
@@ -93,6 +95,11 @@ public function getDescription()
     {
         return $this->description;
     }
+
+    public function getCustomMessage()
+    {
+        return $this->customMessage;
+    }
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/PHPUnit/Framework/TestFailure.php b/PHPUnit/Framework/TestFailure.php
index 3d2297d2b2e..696b45fbb63 100644
--- a/PHPUnit/Framework/TestFailure.php
+++ b/PHPUnit/Framework/TestFailure.php
@@ -134,17 +134,25 @@ public static function exceptionToString(Exception $e, $verbose = FALSE)
         if ($e instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_SelfDescribing) {
             if ($e instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ExpectationFailedException) {
                 $comparisonFailure = $e->getComparisonFailure();
+                $description       = $e->getDescription();
+                $message           = $e->getCustomMessage();
+
+                if ($message == '') {
+                    $buffer = '';
+                } else {
+                    $buffer = $message . "\n";
+                }
 
                 if ($comparisonFailure !== NULL) {
                     if ($comparisonFailure->identical()) {
                         if ($comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_Object) {
-                            $buffer = "Failed asserting that two variables reference the same object.\n";
+                            $buffer .= "Failed asserting that two variables reference the same object.\n";
                         } else {
-                            $buffer = $comparisonFailure->toString() . "\n";
+                            $buffer .= $comparisonFailure->toString() . "\n";
                         }
                     } else {
                         if ($comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_Scalar) {
-                            $buffer = sprintf(
+                            $buffer .= sprintf(
                               "Failed asserting that %s matches expected value %s.\n",
 
                               PHPUnit_Util_Type::toString($comparisonFailure->getActual()),
@@ -155,7 +163,7 @@ public static function exceptionToString(Exception $e, $verbose = FALSE)
                         else if ($comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_Array ||
                                  $comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_Object ||
                                  $comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_String) {
-                            $buffer = sprintf(
+                            $buffer .= sprintf(
                               "Failed asserting that two %ss are equal.\n%s\n",
 
                               strtolower(substr(get_class($comparisonFailure), 36)),
@@ -167,20 +175,19 @@ public static function exceptionToString(Exception $e, $verbose = FALSE)
                            !$comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_Array &&
                            !$comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_Object &&
                            !$comparisonFailure instanceof PHPUnit_Framework_ComparisonFailure_String) {
-                            $buffer = $comparisonFailure->toString() . "\n";
+                            $buffer .= $comparisonFailure->toString() . "\n";
                         }
                     }
                 } else {
-                    $buffer      = $e->toString();
-                    $description = $e->getDescription();
-                    $equal       = $buffer == $description;
+                    $buffer .= $e->toString();
+                    $equal   = $buffer == $description;
 
                     if (!empty($buffer)) {
                         $buffer .= "\n";
                     }
 
                     if (!$equal) {
-                        $buffer .= $e->getDescription() . "\n";
+                        $buffer .= $description . "\n";
                     }
                 }
             }