diff --git a/core/modules/dblog/dblog.admin.inc b/core/modules/dblog/dblog.admin.inc
index b2da7ed..3693d47 100644
--- a/core/modules/dblog/dblog.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/dblog/dblog.admin.inc
@@ -260,7 +260,11 @@ function theme_dblog_message($variables) {
     }
     // Message to translate with injected variables.
     else {
-      $output = t($event->message, unserialize($event->variables));
+      $event_variables = unserialize($event->variables);
+      if (!is_array($event_variables)) {
+        $event_variables = array($event_variables);
+      }
+      $output = t($event->message, $event_variables);
     }
     if ($variables['link'] && isset($event->wid)) {
       // Truncate message to 56 chars.
diff --git a/core/modules/dblog/dblog.module b/core/modules/dblog/dblog.module
index e92fcbd..8884434 100644
--- a/core/modules/dblog/dblog.module
+++ b/core/modules/dblog/dblog.module
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ function dblog_watchdog(array $log_entry) {
       'uid' => $user_uid,
       'type' => substr($log_entry['type'], 0, 64),
       'message' => $log_entry['message'],
-      'variables' => serialize($log_entry['variables']),
+      'variables' => serialize(is_array($log_entry['variables']) || !isset($log_entry['variables']) ? $log_entry['variables'] : array($log_entry['variables'])),
       'severity' => $log_entry['severity'],
       'link' => substr($log_entry['link'], 0, 255),
       'location' => $log_entry['request_uri'],
diff --git a/core/modules/dblog/dblog.test b/core/modules/dblog/dblog.test
index e3a997e..d5efdd9 100644
--- a/core/modules/dblog/dblog.test
+++ b/core/modules/dblog/dblog.test
@@ -48,6 +48,49 @@ class DBLogTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Test improper watchdog call doesn't make the dblog unviewable
+   */
+  function testImproperWatchdogVariables() {
+    // Log in the admin user.
+    $this->drupalLogin($this->big_user);
+
+    $random_type = $this->randomString(10);
+    $random_message = $this->randomString(10);
+
+    /* Test that a bad call to watchdog doesnt insert bad data into
+       the watchdog table. */
+    watchdog($random_type, $random_message, WATCHDOG_ERROR);
+
+    // Select the inserted watchdog message back out of the database.
+    $query = db_select('watchdog', 'w')
+      ->fields('w')
+      ->condition('w.type', $random_type)
+      ->condition('w.message', $random_message);
+    $result = $query->execute()->fetch();
+    // Assert that the variables field is a serialized array.
+    $this->assertTrue(is_array(unserialize($result->variables)), t('Watchdog variables field is an array when watchdog() is used improperly'));
+
+    /* Manually insert bad data into the watchdog table and then check that
+       the dblog report will still load */
+    db_insert('watchdog')
+      ->fields(array(
+        'type' => 'test',
+        'message' => 'Test Watchdog message with bad data',
+        'variables' => serialize('this is not an array'),
+        'severity' => WATCHDOG_ERROR,
+        'location' => 'http://default/index.php',
+        'hostname' => '127.0.0.1',
+      ))
+      ->execute();
+
+    // Load the db log page and make sure there is not an error.
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/reports/dblog');
+    $this->assertResponse(200);
+    $this->assertText(t('Recent log messages'), t('admin/reports/dblog loads with bad data in watchdog table'));
+  }
+
+
+  /**
    * Verify setting of the dblog row limit.
    *
    * @param integer $count Log row limit.