diff --git a/system/language/english/form_validation_lang.php b/system/language/english/form_validation_lang.php
index 6afa37a..a1e0204 100644
--- a/system/language/english/form_validation_lang.php
+++ b/system/language/english/form_validation_lang.php
@@ -25,29 +25,29 @@
  * @filesource
  */
 
-$lang['required']			= "The %s field is required.";
-$lang['isset']				= "The %s field must have a value.";
-$lang['valid_email']		= "The %s field must contain a valid email address.";
-$lang['valid_emails']		= "The %s field must contain all valid email addresses.";
-$lang['valid_url']			= "The %s field must contain a valid URL.";
-$lang['valid_ip']			= "The %s field must contain a valid IP.";
-$lang['min_length']			= "The %s field must be at least %s characters in length.";
-$lang['max_length']			= "The %s field cannot exceed %s characters in length.";
-$lang['exact_length']		= "The %s field must be exactly %s characters in length.";
-$lang['alpha']				= "The %s field may only contain alphabetical characters.";
-$lang['alpha_numeric']		= "The %s field may only contain alpha-numeric characters.";
-$lang['alpha_dash']			= "The %s field may only contain alpha-numeric characters, underscores, and dashes.";
-$lang['numeric']			= "The %s field must contain only numbers.";
-$lang['is_numeric']			= "The %s field must contain only numeric characters.";
-$lang['integer']			= "The %s field must contain an integer.";
-$lang['regex_match']		= "The %s field is not in the correct format.";
-$lang['matches']			= "The %s field does not match the %s field.";
-$lang['is_unique'] 			= "The %s field must contain a unique value.";
-$lang['is_natural']			= "The %s field must contain only positive numbers.";
-$lang['is_natural_no_zero']	= "The %s field must contain a number greater than zero.";
-$lang['decimal']			= "The %s field must contain a decimal number.";
-$lang['less_than']			= "The %s field must contain a number less than %s.";
-$lang['greater_than']		= "The %s field must contain a number greater than %s.";
+$lang['required']			= 'The {field} field is required.';
+$lang['isset']				= 'The {field} field must have a value.';
+$lang['valid_email']		= 'The {field} field must contain a valid email address.';
+$lang['valid_emails']		= 'The {field} field must contain all valid email addresses.';
+$lang['valid_url']			= 'The {field} field must contain a valid URL.';
+$lang['valid_ip']			= 'The {field} field must contain a valid IP.';
+$lang['min_length']			= 'The {field} field must be at least {param} characters in length.';
+$lang['max_length']			= 'The {field} field cannot exceed {param} characters in length.';
+$lang['exact_length']		= 'The {field} field must be exactly {param} characters in length.';
+$lang['alpha']				= 'The {field} field may only contain alphabetical characters.';
+$lang['alpha_numeric']		= 'The {field} field may only contain alpha-numeric characters.';
+$lang['alpha_dash']			= 'The {field} field may only contain alpha-numeric characters, underscores, and dashes.';
+$lang['numeric']			= 'The {field} field must contain only numbers.';
+$lang['is_numeric']			= 'The {field} field must contain only numeric characters.';
+$lang['integer']			= 'The {field} field must contain an integer.';
+$lang['regex_match']		= 'The {field} field is not in the correct format.';
+$lang['matches']			= 'The {field} field does not match the {param} field.';
+$lang['is_unique'] 			= 'The {field} field must contain a unique value.';
+$lang['is_natural']			= 'The {field} field must contain only positive numbers.';
+$lang['is_natural_no_zero']	= 'The {field} field must contain a number greater than zero.';
+$lang['decimal']			= 'The {field} field must contain a decimal number.';
+$lang['less_than']			= 'The {field} field must contain a number less than {param}.';
+$lang['greater_than']		= 'The {field} field must contain a number greater than {param}.';
 
 
 /* End of file form_validation_lang.php */
diff --git a/system/libraries/Form_validation.php b/system/libraries/Form_validation.php
index 0a6a2af..ebd96e4 100644
--- a/system/libraries/Form_validation.php
+++ b/system/libraries/Form_validation.php
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@
 				}
 
 				// Build the error message
-				$message = sprintf($line, $this->_translate_fieldname($row['label']));
+				$message = $this->_build_error_msg($line, $this->_translate_fieldname($row['label']));
 
 				// Save the error message
 				$this->_field_data[$row['field']]['error'] = $message;
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@
 				}
 
 				// Build the error message
-				$message = sprintf($line, $this->_translate_fieldname($row['label']), $param);
+				$message = $this->_build_error_msg($line, $this->_translate_fieldname($row['label']), $param);
 
 				// Save the error message
 				$this->_field_data[$row['field']]['error'] = $message;
@@ -694,6 +694,27 @@
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+	
+	/**
+	 * Build an error message using the field and param.
+	 *
+	 * @param	string	The error message line
+	 * @param	string	A field's human name
+	 * @param	mixed	A rule's optional parameter
+	 * @return	string
+	 */
+	protected function _build_error_msg($line, $field = '', $param = '')
+	{
+		// Check for %s in the string for legacy support.
+		if (strpos($line, '%s') !== false)
+		{
+			return sprintf($line, $field, $param);
+		}
+		
+		return str_replace(array('{field}', '{param}'), array($field, $param), $line);
+	}
+
+	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**
 	 * Get the value from a form
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/libraries/form_validation.rst b/user_guide_src/source/libraries/form_validation.rst
index e7875bc..bf06445 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/libraries/form_validation.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/libraries/form_validation.rst
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	?>
 
 Try it!
 =======
@@ -240,7 +239,6 @@
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	?>
 
 Now submit the form with the fields blank and you should see the error
 messages. If you submit the form with all the fields populated you'll
@@ -443,7 +441,6 @@
 		}
 
 	}
-	?>
 
 Reload your form and submit it with the word "test" as the username. You
 can see that the form field data was passed to your callback function
@@ -466,7 +463,7 @@
 ======================
 
 All of the native error messages are located in the following language
-file: language/english/form_validation_lang.php
+file: system/language/english/form_validation_lang.php
 
 To set your own custom message you can either edit that file, or use the
 following function::
@@ -476,8 +473,18 @@
 Where rule corresponds to the name of a particular rule, and Error
 Message is the text you would like displayed.
 
-If you include %s in your error string, it will be replaced with the
-"human" name you used for your field when you set your rules.
+If you'd like to include a field's "human" name or the optional 
+parameter some rules allow for (such as max_length), you can add the 
+**{field}** and **{param}** tags to your message, respectively.
+
+	$this->form_validation->set_message('min_length', '{field} must have at least {param} characters.');
+
+On a field with the human name Username and a rule of min_length[5], an
+error would display: "Username must have at least 5 characters."
+
+.. note:: The old method of using **%s** in your error messages will
+still work, however it will override the tags above. You should use
+one or the other.
 
 In the "callback" example above, the error message was set by passing
 the name of the function::
@@ -571,7 +578,7 @@
 If there are no errors, nothing will be shown. If there is an error, the
 message will appear.
 
-**Important Note:** If you use an array as the name of a form field, you
+.. note:: **Important Note:** If you use an array as the name of a form field, you
 must supply it as an array to the function. Example::
 
 	<?php echo form_error('options[size]'); ?>
@@ -723,7 +730,6 @@
 	      }
 	   }
 	}
-	?>
 
 In your validation config file, you will name your rule group
 member/signup::