diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/EssentialsSign.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/EssentialsSign.java
index 283b12fee..502bffb2c 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/EssentialsSign.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/EssentialsSign.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public class EssentialsSign {
         try {
             final boolean ret = onSignCreate(sign, user, getUsername(user), ess);
             if (ret) {
-                sign.setLine(0, getSuccessName());
+                sign.setLine(0, getSuccessName(ess));
             }
             return ret;
         } catch (ChargeException ex) {
@@ -66,8 +66,22 @@ public class EssentialsSign {
         return true;
     }
 
+    public String getSuccessName(IEssentials ess) {
+        String successName = getSuccessName();
+        if (successName == null) {
+            ess.getLogger().severe("signFormatSuccess message must use the {0} argument.");
+        }
+        return successName;
+    }
+
     public String getSuccessName() {
-        return tl("signFormatSuccess", this.signName);
+        String successName = tl("signFormatSuccess", this.signName);
+        if (successName.isEmpty() || !successName.contains(this.signName)) {
+            // Set to null to cause an error in place of no functionality. This makes an error obvious as opposed to leaving users baffled by lack of
+            // functionality.
+            successName = null;
+        }
+        return successName;
     }
 
     public String getTemplateName() {
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java
index f3ee48bed..86c59ef05 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.earth2me.essentials.signs;
 
+import com.earth2me.essentials.I18n;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.User;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.utils.FormatUtil;
 import net.ess3.api.IEssentials;
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ public class SignBlockListener implements Listener {
             final Sign csign = (Sign) block.getState();
 
             for (EssentialsSign sign : ess.getSettings().enabledSigns()) {
-                if (csign.getLine(0).equalsIgnoreCase(sign.getSuccessName()) && !sign.onSignBreak(block, player, ess)) {
+                if (csign.getLine(0).equalsIgnoreCase(sign.getSuccessName(ess)) && !sign.onSignBreak(block, player, ess)) {
                     return true;
                 }
             }
@@ -94,7 +95,13 @@ public class SignBlockListener implements Listener {
             // If the top sign line contains any of the success name (excluding colors), just remove all colours from the first line.
             // This is to ensure we are only modifying possible Essentials Sign and not just removing colors from the first line of all signs.
             // Top line and sign#getSuccessName() are both lowercased since contains is case-sensitive.
-            String lSuccessName = ChatColor.stripColor(sign.getSuccessName().toLowerCase());
+            String successName = sign.getSuccessName(ess);
+            if (successName == null) {
+                event.getPlayer().sendMessage(I18n.tl("errorWithMessage",
+                    "Please report this error to a staff member."));
+                return;
+            }
+            String lSuccessName = ChatColor.stripColor(successName.toLowerCase());
             if (lColorlessTopLine.contains(lSuccessName)) {
 
                 // If this sign is not enabled and it has been requested to not protect it's name (when disabled), then do not protect the name.
@@ -116,7 +123,7 @@ public class SignBlockListener implements Listener {
         }
 
         for (EssentialsSign sign : ess.getSettings().enabledSigns()) {
-            if (event.getLine(0).equalsIgnoreCase(sign.getSuccessName())) {
+            if (event.getLine(0).equalsIgnoreCase(sign.getSuccessName(ess))) {
                 event.setCancelled(true);
                 return;
             }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignPlayerListener.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignPlayerListener.java
index ac2c9b8ca..b7d975c6c 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignPlayerListener.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignPlayerListener.java
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class SignPlayerListener implements Listener {
         if (mat == Material.SIGN_POST || mat == Material.WALL_SIGN) {
             final String csign = ((Sign) block.getState()).getLine(0);
             for (EssentialsSign sign : ess.getSettings().enabledSigns()) {
-                if (csign.equalsIgnoreCase(sign.getSuccessName())) {
+                if (csign.equalsIgnoreCase(sign.getSuccessName(ess))) {
                     sign.onSignInteract(block, event.getPlayer(), ess);
                     event.setCancelled(true);
                     return;
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignProtection.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignProtection.java
index b39b41498..befbedbfe 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignProtection.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignProtection.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class SignProtection extends EssentialsSign {
     private SignProtectionState checkProtectionSign(final Block block, final User user, final String username) {
         if (block.getType() == Material.SIGN_POST || block.getType() == Material.WALL_SIGN) {
             final BlockSign sign = new BlockSign(block);
-            if (sign.getLine(0).equals(this.getSuccessName())) {
+            if (sign.getLine(0).equals(this.getSuccessName())) { // TODO call getSuccessName(IEssentials)
                 return checkProtectionSign(sign, user, username);
             }
         }