diff -u b/core/includes/pager.inc b/core/includes/pager.inc
--- b/core/includes/pager.inc
+++ b/core/includes/pager.inc
@@ -141,6 +141,12 @@
   return $query;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Preprocess variables for theme_pager().
+ *
+ * Prepares the values passed to the theme_pager function to be passed into a
+ * pluggable template engine.
+ */
 function template_preprocess_pager(&$variables) {
   global $pager_page_array, $pager_total;
 
@@ -354,7 +360,7 @@
  * @ingroup themeable
  */
 function theme_pager($variables) {
-  // If there are not pages, ensure nothing is output.
+  // If there are no pages, ensure nothing is output.
   if (!$variables['items']) {
     return '';
   }
diff -u b/core/includes/theme.inc b/core/includes/theme.inc
--- b/core/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/core/includes/theme.inc
@@ -1645,8 +1645,7 @@
  * @see l()
  */
 function theme_link($variables) {
-  $html = !empty($variables['options']['html']);
-  return '<a href="' . check_plain(url($variables['path'], $variables['options'])) . '"' . new Attribute($variables['options']['attributes']) . '>' . ($html ? $variables['text'] : check_plain($variables['text'])) . '</a>';
+  return '<a href="' . check_plain(url($variables['path'], $variables['options'])) . '"' . new Attribute($variables['options']['attributes']) . '>' . ($variables['options']['html'] ? $variables['text'] : check_plain($variables['text'])) . '</a>';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3068,6 +3067,21 @@
     'pager' => array(
       'variables' => array('tags' => array(), 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array(), 'quantity' => 9),
     ),
+    'pager_first' => array(
+      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array()),
+    ),
+    'pager_previous' => array(
+      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'interval' => 1, 'parameters' => array()),
+    ),
+    'pager_next' => array(
+      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'interval' => 1, 'parameters' => array()),
+    ),
+    'pager_last' => array(
+      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array()),
+    ),
+    'pager_link' => array(
+      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'page_new' => NULL, 'element' => NULL, 'parameters' => array(), 'attributes' => array()),
+    ),
     // From menu.inc.
     'menu_link' => array(
       'render element' => 'element',
@@ -3268,21 +3282,6 @@
     'pager' => array(
       'variables' => array('tags' => array(), 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array(), 'quantity' => 9),
     ),
-    'pager_first' => array(
-      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array()),
-    ),
-    'pager_previous' => array(
-      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'interval' => 1, 'parameters' => array()),
-    ),
-    'pager_next' => array(
-      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'interval' => 1, 'parameters' => array()),
-    ),
-    'pager_last' => array(
-      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array()),
-    ),
-    'pager_link' => array(
-      'variables' => array('text' => NULL, 'page_new' => NULL, 'element' => NULL, 'parameters' => array(), 'attributes' => array()),
-    ),
     // From menu.inc.
     'menu_link' => array(
       'render element' => 'element',
reverted:
--- b/core/modules/node/node.admin.inc
+++ a/core/modules/node/node.admin.inc
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@
     );
   }
 
+  $form['pager'] = array('#markup' => theme('pager'));
-  $form['pager'] = array('#theme' => 'pager');
   return $form;
 }