diff --git a/src/newgrf.cpp b/src/newgrf.cpp
index 549981db51..d16b3cbb63 100644
--- a/src/newgrf.cpp
+++ b/src/newgrf.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "newgrf.h"
 #include "variables.h"
 #include "string.h"
+#include "strings.h"
 #include "table/strings.h"
 #include "bridge.h"
 #include "town.h"
@@ -3412,15 +3413,6 @@ static void GRFLoadError(byte *buf, int len)
 		STR_NEWGRF_ERROR_MSG_FATAL
 	};
 
-	/* AddGRFString expects the string to be referred to by an id in the newgrf
-	 * file. Errors messages are never referred to however, so invent ids that
-	 * are unlikely to be reached in a newgrf file so they don't overwrite
-	 * anything else. */
-	enum {
-		MESSAGE_STRING_ID = MAX_UVALUE(StringID) - 1,
-		MESSAGE_DATA_ID   = MAX_UVALUE(StringID)
-	};
-
 	if (!check_length(len, 6, "GRFLoadError")) return;
 
 	/* For now we can only show one message per newgrf file. */
@@ -3432,6 +3424,9 @@ static void GRFLoadError(byte *buf, int len)
 	byte message_id = grf_load_byte(&buf);
 	len -= 4;
 
+	/* Skip the error if it isn't valid for the current language. */
+	if (!CheckGrfLangID(lang, _cur_grffile->grf_version)) return;
+
 	/* Skip the error until the activation stage unless bit 7 of the severity
 	 * is set. */
 	if (!HASBIT(severity, 7) && _cur_stage == GLS_INIT) {
@@ -3461,7 +3456,6 @@ static void GRFLoadError(byte *buf, int len)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	bool new_scheme = _cur_grffile->grf_version >= 7;
 	GRFError *error = CallocT<GRFError>(1);
 
 	error->severity = sevstr[severity];
@@ -3471,7 +3465,7 @@ static void GRFLoadError(byte *buf, int len)
 		const char *message = grf_load_string(&buf, len);
 		len -= (strlen(message) + 1);
 
-		error->message = AddGRFString(_cur_grffile->grfid, MESSAGE_STRING_ID, lang, new_scheme, message, STR_UNDEFINED);
+		error->custom_message = TranslateTTDPatchCodes(message);
 	} else {
 		error->message = msgstr[message_id];
 	}
@@ -3480,7 +3474,7 @@ static void GRFLoadError(byte *buf, int len)
 		const char *data = grf_load_string(&buf, len);
 		len -= (strlen(data) + 1);
 
-		error->data = AddGRFString(_cur_grffile->grfid, MESSAGE_DATA_ID, lang, new_scheme, data, STR_UNDEFINED);
+		error->data = TranslateTTDPatchCodes(data);
 	}
 
 	/* Only two parameter numbers can be used in the string. */
@@ -4116,8 +4110,12 @@ static void TranslateGRFStrings(byte *buf, int len)
 		/* If the file is not active but will be activated later, give an error
 		 * and disable this file. */
 		GRFError *error = CallocT<GRFError>(1);
+
+		char tmp[256];
+		GetString(tmp, STR_NEWGRF_ERROR_AFTER_TRANSLATED_FILE, lastof(tmp));
+		error->data = strdup(tmp);
+
 		error->message  = STR_NEWGRF_ERROR_LOAD_AFTER;
-		error->data     = STR_NEWGRF_ERROR_AFTER_TRANSLATED_FILE;
 		error->severity = STR_NEWGRF_ERROR_MSG_FATAL;
 
 		if (_cur_grfconfig->error != NULL) free(_cur_grfconfig->error);
@@ -4402,6 +4400,8 @@ static void ResetNewGRFErrors()
 {
 	for (GRFConfig *c = _grfconfig; c != NULL; c = c->next) {
 		if (!HASBIT(c->flags, GCF_COPY) && c->error != NULL) {
+			free(c->error->custom_message);
+			free(c->error->data);
 			free(c->error);
 			c->error = NULL;
 		}
diff --git a/src/newgrf_config.cpp b/src/newgrf_config.cpp
index 3e3cfdc526..6d6709c6bb 100644
--- a/src/newgrf_config.cpp
+++ b/src/newgrf_config.cpp
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ void ClearGRFConfig(GRFConfig **config)
 		free((*config)->full_path);
 		free((*config)->name);
 		free((*config)->info);
-		free((*config)->error);
+
+		if ((*config)->error != NULL) {
+			free((*config)->error->custom_message);
+			free((*config)->error->data);
+			free((*config)->error);
+		}
 	}
 	free(*config);
 	*config = NULL;
@@ -134,6 +139,8 @@ GRFConfig **CopyGRFConfigList(GRFConfig **dst, const GRFConfig *src)
 		if (src->error     != NULL) {
 			c->error = CallocT<GRFError>(1);
 			memcpy(c->error, src->error, sizeof(GRFError));
+			if (src->error->data != NULL) c->error->data = strdup(src->error->data);
+			if (src->error->custom_message != NULL) c->error->custom_message = strdup(src->error->custom_message);
 		}
 
 		*dst = c;
diff --git a/src/newgrf_config.h b/src/newgrf_config.h
index 491c7ca886..120b085b75 100644
--- a/src/newgrf_config.h
+++ b/src/newgrf_config.h
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ struct GRFIdentifier {
 };
 
 struct GRFError {
+	char *custom_message;
+	char *data;
 	StringID message;
-	StringID data;
 	StringID severity;
 	uint8 num_params;
 	uint8 param_number[2];
diff --git a/src/newgrf_gui.cpp b/src/newgrf_gui.cpp
index 22335c3d10..4b36dc4520 100644
--- a/src/newgrf_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/newgrf_gui.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ static void ShowNewGRFInfo(const GRFConfig *c, uint x, uint y, uint w, uint bott
 
 	if (c->error != NULL) {
 		SetDParamStr(0, c->filename);
-		SetDParam(1, c->error->data);
+		SetDParamStr(1, c->error->data);
 		for (uint i = 0; i < c->error->num_params; i++) {
 			uint32 param = 0;
 			byte param_number = c->error->param_number[i];
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static void ShowNewGRFInfo(const GRFConfig *c, uint x, uint y, uint w, uint bott
 		}
 
 		char message[512];
-		GetString(message, c->error->message, lastof(message));
+		GetString(message, c->error->custom_message != NULL ? BindCString(c->error->custom_message) : c->error->message, lastof(message));
 
 		SetDParamStr(0, message);
 		y += DrawStringMultiLine(x, y, c->error->severity, w, bottom - y);
diff --git a/src/newgrf_text.cpp b/src/newgrf_text.cpp
index 5c977992fa..d05b0c2d37 100644
--- a/src/newgrf_text.cpp
+++ b/src/newgrf_text.cpp
@@ -445,6 +445,20 @@ void SetCurrentGrfLangID(const char *iso_name)
 	_currentLangID = ret;
 }
 
+bool CheckGrfLangID(byte lang_id, byte grf_version)
+{
+	if (grf_version < 7) {
+		switch (_currentLangID) {
+			case GRFLX_GERMAN:  return (lang_id & GRFLB_GERMAN)  != 0;
+			case GRFLX_FRENCH:  return (lang_id & GRFLB_FRENCH)  != 0;
+			case GRFLX_SPANISH: return (lang_id & GRFLB_SPANISH) != 0;
+			default:            return (lang_id & (GRFLB_ENGLISH | GRFLB_AMERICAN)) != 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return (lang_id == _currentLangID || lang_id == GRFLX_UNSPECIFIED);
+}
+
 /**
  * House cleaning.
  * Remove all strings and reset the text counter.
diff --git a/src/newgrf_text.h b/src/newgrf_text.h
index 272b78422c..ec0fcdc912 100644
--- a/src/newgrf_text.h
+++ b/src/newgrf_text.h
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ void CleanUpStrings();
 void SetCurrentGrfLangID(const char *iso_name);
 char *TranslateTTDPatchCodes(const char *str);
 
+bool CheckGrfLangID(byte lang_id, byte grf_version);
+
 #endif /* NEWGRF_TEXT_H */