diff --git a/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/MessageManager.java b/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/MessageManager.java
index 13c6250e..67a221e6 100644
--- a/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/MessageManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/MessageManager.java
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ public class MessageManager
             return "[null message key]";
         }
 
-        // if the key is tainted, just strip the taint character
-        if (path.startsWith(MessageUtil.TAINT_CHAR)) {
-            return path.substring(1);
+        // if the key is tainted, just return the untainted key
+        if (MessageUtil.isTainted(path)) {
+            return MessageUtil.untaint(path);
         }
 
         // attempt to determine whether or not this is a compound key
@@ -128,13 +128,13 @@ public class MessageManager
             String argstr = path.substring(tidx+1);
             String[] args = StringUtil.split(argstr, "|");
             // unescape and translate the arguments
-            for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
+            for (int ii = 0; ii < args.length; ii++) {
                 // if the argument is tainted, do no further translation (it might contain |s or
                 // other fun stuff)
-                if (args[i].startsWith(MessageUtil.TAINT_CHAR)) {
-                    args[i] = MessageUtil.unescape(args[i].substring(1));
+                if (MessageUtil.isTainted(args[ii])) {
+                    args[ii] = MessageUtil.unescape(MessageUtil.untaint(args[ii]));
                 } else {
-                    args[i] = getMessage(req, MessageUtil.unescape(args[i]));
+                    args[ii] = getMessage(req, MessageUtil.unescape(args[ii]));
                 }
             }
             return getMessage(req, key, args);
diff --git a/src/java/com/samskivert/text/MessageUtil.java b/src/java/com/samskivert/text/MessageUtil.java
index 1e2f2e67..7e581443 100644
--- a/src/java/com/samskivert/text/MessageUtil.java
+++ b/src/java/com/samskivert/text/MessageUtil.java
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@ package com.samskivert.text;
  */
 public class MessageUtil
 {
-    /** Text prefixed by this character will be considered tainted when doing recursive
-     * translations and won't be translated. */
-    public static final String TAINT_CHAR = "~";
-
     /** Used to mark fully qualified message keys. */
     public static final String QUAL_PREFIX = "%";
 
@@ -46,6 +42,24 @@ public class MessageUtil
         return TAINT_CHAR + text;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns whether or not the provided string is tainted. See {@link #taint()}. Null strings
+     * are considered untainted.
+     */
+    public static boolean isTainted (String text)
+    {
+        return text != null && text.startsWith(TAINT_CHAR);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Removes the tainting character added to a string by {@link #taint()}. If the provided string
+     * is not tainted, this silently returns the originally provided string.
+     */
+    public static String untaint (String text)
+    {
+        return isTainted(text) ? text.substring(TAINT_CHAR.length()) : text;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Composes a message key with an array of arguments. The message can subsequently be
      * decomposed and translated without prior knowledge of how many arguments were provided.
@@ -220,4 +234,8 @@ public class MessageUtil
 
         return qualifiedKey.substring(qsidx+1);
     }
+
+    /** Text prefixed by this character will be considered tainted when doing recursive
+     * translations and won't be translated. */
+    protected static final String TAINT_CHAR = "~";
 }