diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriber.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriber.php
index 8556561..bf62c68 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriber.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriber.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber;
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\String;
+use Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerTrait;
 use Drupal\Core\Routing\RouteBuildEvent;
 use Drupal\Core\Routing\RouteSubscriberBase;
 use Symfony\Cmf\Component\Routing\RouteObjectInterface;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
  * Provides a route subscriber which checks for invalid pattern variables.
  */
 class SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriber extends RouteSubscriberBase {
+  use MessengerTrait;
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ protected function alterRoutes(RouteCollection $collection) {
     foreach ($collection->all() as $route) {
       if ($not_allowed_variables = array_intersect($route->compile()->getVariables(), $special_variables)) {
         $placeholders = array('@variables' => implode(', ', $not_allowed_variables));
-        drupal_set_message(String::format('The following variables are reserved names by drupal: @variables', $placeholders));
+        $this->addMessage(String::format('The following variables are reserved names by drupal: @variables', $placeholders));
         watchdog('error', 'The following variables are reserved names by drupal: @variables', $placeholders);
         return FALSE;
       }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Messenger/MessengerTrait.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Messenger/MessengerTrait.php
index e69de29..af65590 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Messenger/MessengerTrait.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Messenger/MessengerTrait.php
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerTrait.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\Core\Messenger;
+
+/**
+ * Wrapper methods for \Drupal\Core\Messenger\Messenger.
+ */
+trait MessengerTrait {
+
+  /**
+   * The messenger service.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface
+   */
+  protected $messenger;
+
+  /**
+   * Adds a new message to the queue.
+   *
+   * See \Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface::addMessage() for details.
+   *
+   * @return $this
+   */
+  protected function addMessage($message, $type = MessengerInterface::STATUS, $repeat = FALSE) {
+    $this->getMessenger()->addMessage($message, $type, $repeat);
+    return $this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the messenger service.
+   *
+   * @return \Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface
+   *   The messenger service.
+   */
+  protected function getMessenger() {
+    if (!$this->messenger) {
+      $this->messenger = \Drupal::service('messenger');
+    }
+
+    return $this->messenger;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Sets the messenger service to use.
+   *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface $messenger
+   *   The messenger service.
+   *
+   * @return $this
+   */
+  public function setMessenger(MessengerInterface $messenger) {
+    $this->messenger = $messenger;
+
+    return $this;
+  }
+
+
+}
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriberTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriberTest.php
index 65ba07d..934f96b 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriberTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/EventSubscriber/SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriberTest.php
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
     $this->specialAttributesRouteSubscriber = new SpecialAttributesRouteSubscriber();
+    $messenger = $this->getMock('\Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface');
+    $this->specialAttributesRouteSubscriber->setMessenger($messenger);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -121,8 +123,4 @@ public function testOnRouteBuildingInvalidVariables(Route $route) {
     function watchdog($type, $message, array $args = array()) {
     }
   }
-  if (!function_exists('drupal_set_message')) {
-    function drupal_set_message($type = NULL, $message = '') {
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Messenger/MessengerTraitTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Messenger/MessengerTraitTest.php
index e69de29..8a7fa9c 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Messenger/MessengerTraitTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Core/Messenger/MessengerTraitTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\Tests\Core\Messenger\MessengerTraitTest.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\Tests\Core\Messenger;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerTrait;
+use Drupal\Tests\UnitTestCase;
+
+/**
+ * @coversDefaultClass \Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerTrait
+ */
+class MessengerTraitTest extends UnitTestCase {
+
+  /**
+   * A reflection of self::$messenger.
+   *
+   * @var \ReflectionClass
+   */
+  protected $reflection;
+
+  /**
+   * The mock under test that uses MessengerTraitTest.
+   *
+   * @var object
+   * @see PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_Generator::getObjectForTrait()
+   */
+  protected $messengerTrait;
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public static function getInfo() {
+    return array(
+      'name' => 'Messenger trait',
+      'description' => 'Tests the messenger trait.',
+      'group' => 'Messenger',
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public function setUp() {
+    $this->messengerTrait = $this->getObjectForTrait('\Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerTrait');
+
+    $this->reflection = new \ReflectionClass(get_class($this->messengerTrait));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @covers ::addMessage
+   */
+  public function testAddMessage() {
+    $stub = $this->getMock('\Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface');
+    $this->messengerTrait->setMessenger($stub);
+
+    $message_string = 'Beep boop';
+
+    $stub->expects($this->once())
+         ->method('addMessage')
+         ->with($this->equalTo($message_string));
+
+    $method = $this->reflection->getMethod('addMessage');
+    $method->setAccessible(TRUE);
+
+    $this->assertEquals($this->messengerTrait, $method->invoke($this->messengerTrait, $message_string));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @covers ::getMessenger
+   */
+  public function testGetMessenger() {
+    $stub = $this->getMock('\Drupal\Core\Messenger\MessengerInterface');
+    $this->messengerTrait->setMessenger($stub);
+
+    $method = $this->reflection->getMethod('getMessenger');
+    $method->setAccessible(TRUE);
+
+    $this->assertSame($stub, $method->invoke($this->messengerTrait));
+  }
+
+}