diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/Element/StatusMessages.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/Element/StatusMessages.php
index 530457f..cd3bf52 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/Element/StatusMessages.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/Element/StatusMessages.php
@@ -75,19 +75,17 @@ public static function generatePlaceholder(array $element) {
   public static function renderMessages($type) {
     $render = [];
     $messages = drupal_get_messages($type);
-    if ($messages) {
-      // Render the messages.
-      $render = [
-        '#theme' => 'status_messages',
-        // @todo Improve when https://www.drupal.org/node/2278383 lands.
-        '#message_list' => $messages,
-        '#status_headings' => [
-          'status' => t('Status message'),
-          'error' => t('Error message'),
-          'warning' => t('Warning message'),
-        ],
-      ];
-    }
+    // Render the messages.
+    $render = [
+      '#theme' => 'status_messages',
+      // @todo Improve when https://www.drupal.org/node/2278383 lands.
+      '#message_list' => $messages,
+      '#status_headings' => [
+        'status' => t('Status message'),
+        'error' => t('Error message'),
+        'warning' => t('Warning message'),
+      ],
+    ];
     return $render;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/misc/announce.js b/core/misc/announce.js
index 0f10748..7425a43 100644
--- a/core/misc/announce.js
+++ b/core/misc/announce.js
@@ -107,9 +107,6 @@
    *   A string to indicate the priority of the message. Can be either
    *   'polite' or 'assertive'.
    *
-   * @return {function}
-   *   The return of the call to debounce.
-   *
    * @see http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/aria-practices/#liveprops
    */
   Drupal.announce = function (text, priority) {
diff --git a/core/misc/message.js b/core/misc/message.js
index 77b0745..e7c13b3 100644
--- a/core/misc/message.js
+++ b/core/misc/message.js
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
  */
 (function ($, Drupal, debounce) {
 
-  "use strict";
+  'use strict';
 
-  var messages = [],
-      messagesElement,
-      debouncedProcessMessages;
+  var messages = [];
+  var messagesElement;
+  var debouncedProcessMessages;
 
   /**
    * Builds a div element with the aria-live attribute and attaches it to the DOM.
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
   Drupal.behaviors.drupalMessage = {
     attach: function () {
       if (!messagesElement) {
-        messagesElement = $('[data-drupal-messages]');
-        if (!messagesElement) {
-          throw new Error(Drupal.t("There is no element with a [data-drupal-messages] attribute"));
+        if (!$('[data-drupal-messages]').length) {
+          throw new Error(Drupal.t('There is no element with a [data-drupal-messages] attribute'));
         }
+        messagesElement = $('[data-drupal-messages]')[0];
       }
     }
   };
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@
    * Displays all queued messages in one pass instead of one after the other.
    * @see debouncedProcessMessages
    */
-  function processMessages () {
-    var text = [],
-        message, messagesIndex, messagesLength;
+  function processMessages() {
+    var text = [];
+    var message;
+    var messagesIndex;
+    var messagesLength;
 
     if (messages.length) {
       for (messagesIndex = 0, messagesLength = messages.length; messagesIndex < messagesLength; messagesIndex++) {
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@
   Drupal.message.remove = function (context, type) {
     context = context || 'default';
     type = type || 'status';
-    $(".messages--" + message.type + ".js-messages-context--" + message.context).remove();
+    $('.messages--' + type + '.js-messages-context--' + context).remove();
   };
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js/js_message_test.js b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js/js_message_test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f54544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js/js_message_test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/**
+ * @file
+ *  Testing behavior for JSMessageTest.
+ */
+
+(function ($, message) {
+
+  'use strict';
+
+  /**
+   * @type {Drupal~behavior}
+   *
+   * @prop {Drupal~behaviorAttach} attach
+   *   Add click listeners that show and remove links with context and type.
+   */
+  Drupal.behaviors.js_message_test = {
+    attach: function (context) {
+      $('.show-link').once('show-msg').on('click', function (e) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        var type = e.currentTarget.getAttribute('data-type');
+        var context = e.currentTarget.getAttribute('data-context');
+        message.add('Msg-' + type + '-' + context, type, context);
+      });
+      $('.remove-link').once('remove-msg').on('click', function (e) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        var type = e.currentTarget.getAttribute('data-type');
+        var context = e.currentTarget.getAttribute('data-context');
+        message.remove(context, type);
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
+})(jQuery, Drupal.message);
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.info.yml b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.info.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8bc73b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.info.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+name: 'JS Message test module'
+type: module
+description: 'Module for the JSMessageTest test.'
+package: Testing
+version: VERSION
+core: 8.x
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.libraries.yml b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.libraries.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33c49e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.libraries.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+show_message:
+  version: VERSION
+  js:
+    js/js_message_test.js: {}
+  dependencies:
+    - core/drupal.message
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.routing.yml b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.routing.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c325e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/js_message_test.routing.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+js_message_test.links:
+  path: '/js_message_test_link'
+  defaults:
+    _controller: '\Drupal\js_message_test\Controller\JSMessageTestController::messageLinks'
+    _title: 'JsMessageLinks'
+  requirements:
+    _access: 'TRUE'
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/src/Controller/JSMessageTestController.php b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/src/Controller/JSMessageTestController.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..839ef4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/js_message_test/src/Controller/JSMessageTestController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\js_message_test\Controller;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Url;
+
+/**
+ * Test Controller to show message links.
+ */
+class JSMessageTestController {
+
+  /**
+   * Displays links to show messages via Javascript.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   Render array for links.
+   */
+  public function messageLinks() {
+    $links = [];
+    foreach (['context1', 'context2'] as $context) {
+      foreach (['status', 'error', 'warning'] as $type) {
+        $links["show-$context-$type"] = [
+          'title' => "Show-$context-$type",
+          'url' => Url::fromRoute('js_message_test.links'),
+          'attributes' => [
+            'id' => "show-$context-$type",
+            'data-context' => $context,
+            'data-type' => $type,
+            'class' => ['show-link'],
+          ],
+        ];
+        $links["remove-$context-$type"] = [
+          'title' => "Remove-$context-$type",
+          'url' => Url::fromRoute('js_message_test.links'),
+          'attributes' => [
+            'id' => "remove-$context-$type",
+            'data-context' => $context,
+            'data-type' => $type,
+            'class' => ['remove-link'],
+          ],
+        ];
+      }
+
+    }
+    return [
+      '#theme' => 'links',
+      '#links' => $links,
+      '#attached' => [
+        'library' => [
+          'js_message_test/show_message',
+        ],
+      ],
+    ];
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Core/JsMessageTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Core/JsMessageTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc8746f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Core/JsMessageTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\FunctionalJavascriptTests\Core;
+
+use Drupal\FunctionalJavascriptTests\JavascriptTestBase;
+
+/**
+ * Tests core/drupal.messages library.
+ *
+ * @group Javascript
+ */
+class JsMessageTest extends JavascriptTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public static $modules = ['js_message_test'];
+
+
+  public function testJSMessages() {
+    $web_assert = $this->assertSession();
+    $this->drupalGet('js_message_test_link');
+    $web_assert->elementExists('css', '[data-drupal-messages]');
+    $contexts = ['context1', 'context2'];
+    $types = ['status', 'error', 'warning'];
+    foreach ($contexts as $context) {
+      foreach ($types as $type) {
+        $this->clickLink("Show-$context-$type");
+        $this->getSession()->wait('200');
+        $selector = ".messages.messages--$type.js-messages.js-messages-context--$context";
+        $msg_element = $web_assert->waitForElementVisible('css', $selector);
+        $this->assertNotEmpty($msg_element, "Message element visible: $selector");
+        $web_assert->elementContains('css', $selector, "Msg-$type-$context");
+        // @todo Test clicking remove links.
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+}