diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ILocalizedTextService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ILocalizedTextService.cs
index 47cf9a1cb0..de95f24efa 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ILocalizedTextService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ILocalizedTextService.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
         /// <param name="culture"></param>
         /// <param name="tokens">This can be null</param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        string Localize(string key, CultureInfo culture, IDictionary<string, string> tokens);
+        string Localize(string key, CultureInfo culture, IDictionary<string, string> tokens = null);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns all key/values in storage for the given culture
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextService.cs
index 22d57928f9..f5c2cc033a 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextService.cs
@@ -1,59 +1,15 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Globalization;
-using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Xml;
 using System.Xml.Linq;
 using System.Xml.XPath;
-using Umbraco.Core.Cache;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
 {
     //TODO: Convert all of this over to Niels K's localization framework one day
 
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Exposes the XDocument sources from files for the default localization text service and ensure caching is taken care of
-    /// </summary>
-    public class LocalizedTextServiceFileSources
-    {
-        private readonly IRuntimeCacheProvider _cache;
-        private readonly DirectoryInfo _fileSourceFolder;
-
-        public LocalizedTextServiceFileSources(IRuntimeCacheProvider cache, DirectoryInfo fileSourceFolder)
-        {
-            if (cache == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("cache");
-            if (fileSourceFolder == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("fileSourceFolder");
-            _cache = cache;
-            _fileSourceFolder = fileSourceFolder;
-        }
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// returns all xml sources for all culture files found in the folder
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <returns></returns>
-        public IDictionary<CultureInfo, Lazy<XDocument>> GetXmlSources()
-        {
-            var result = new Dictionary<CultureInfo, Lazy<XDocument>>();
-            foreach (var fileInfo in _fileSourceFolder.GetFiles("*.xml"))
-            {
-                var localCopy = fileInfo;
-                var filename = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(localCopy.FullName).Replace("_", "-");
-                var culture = CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo(filename);
-                //get the lazy value from cache                
-                result.Add(culture, new Lazy<XDocument>(() => _cache.GetCacheItem<XDocument>(
-                    string.Format("{0}-{1}", typeof (LocalizedTextServiceFileSources).Name, culture.TwoLetterISOLanguageName), () =>
-                    {
-                        using (var fs = localCopy.OpenRead())
-                        {
-                            return XDocument.Load(fs);
-                        }
-                    }, isSliding: true, timeout: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10), dependentFiles: new[] {localCopy.FullName})));
-            }
-            return result;
-        }
-    }
-
     public class LocalizedTextService : ILocalizedTextService
     {
         private readonly IDictionary<CultureInfo, IDictionary<string, IDictionary<string, string>>> _dictionarySource;
@@ -88,7 +44,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
             _dictionarySource = source;
         }
 
-        public string Localize(string key, CultureInfo culture, IDictionary<string, string> tokens)
+        public string Localize(string key, CultureInfo culture, IDictionary<string, string> tokens = null)
         {
             Mandate.ParameterNotNull(culture, "culture");
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceExtensions.cs
index 82c5e9e643..6ed20b2a45 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceExtensions.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-using System.Globalization;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.Linq;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
 {
@@ -14,11 +16,25 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
         /// <param name="manager"></param>
         /// <param name="key"></param>
         /// <param name="culture"></param>
+        /// <param name="tokens"></param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        public static string Localize(this ILocalizedTextService manager, string key, CultureInfo culture)
+        public static string Localize(this ILocalizedTextService manager, string key, CultureInfo culture, string[] tokens)
         {
-            return manager.Localize(key, culture, null);
+            return manager.Localize(key, culture, ConvertToDictionaryVars(tokens));
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Convert an array of strings to a dictionary of indicies -> values
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="variables"></param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        internal static IDictionary<string, string> ConvertToDictionaryVars(string[] variables)
+        {
+            if (variables == null) return null;
+            if (variables.Any() == false) return null;
+
+            return variables.Select((s, i) => new { index = i.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture), value = s })
+                .ToDictionary(keyvals => keyvals.index, keyvals => keyvals.value);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceFileSources.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceFileSources.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..147a3cda31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/LocalizedTextServiceFileSources.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using Umbraco.Core.Cache;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Exposes the XDocument sources from files for the default localization text service and ensure caching is taken care of
+    /// </summary>
+    public class LocalizedTextServiceFileSources
+    {
+        private readonly IRuntimeCacheProvider _cache;
+        private readonly DirectoryInfo _fileSourceFolder;
+
+        public LocalizedTextServiceFileSources(IRuntimeCacheProvider cache, DirectoryInfo fileSourceFolder)
+        {
+            if (cache == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("cache");
+            if (fileSourceFolder == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("fileSourceFolder");
+            _cache = cache;
+            _fileSourceFolder = fileSourceFolder;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// returns all xml sources for all culture files found in the folder
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        public IDictionary<CultureInfo, Lazy<XDocument>> GetXmlSources()
+        {
+            var result = new Dictionary<CultureInfo, Lazy<XDocument>>();
+            foreach (var fileInfo in _fileSourceFolder.GetFiles("*.xml"))
+            {
+                var localCopy = fileInfo;
+                var filename = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(localCopy.FullName).Replace("_", "-");
+                var culture = CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo(filename);
+                //get the lazy value from cache                
+                result.Add(culture, new Lazy<XDocument>(() => _cache.GetCacheItem<XDocument>(
+                    string.Format("{0}-{1}", typeof (LocalizedTextServiceFileSources).Name, culture.TwoLetterISOLanguageName), () =>
+                    {
+                        using (var fs = localCopy.OpenRead())
+                        {
+                            return XDocument.Load(fs);
+                        }
+                    }, isSliding: true, timeout: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10), dependentFiles: new[] {localCopy.FullName})));
+            }
+            return result;
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
index 52c5260bed..7bd9b9ee1a 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
@@ -318,7 +318,6 @@
     <Compile Include="IO\UmbracoMediaFile.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\LocalizedTextService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\ILocalizedTextService.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="Services\LocalizedTextServiceExtensions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Macros\XsltExtension.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Macros\XsltExtensionAttribute.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Macros\XsltExtensionsResolver.cs" />
@@ -1073,6 +1072,8 @@
     <Compile Include="Services\ITagService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\IUserService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\LocalizationService.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Services\LocalizedTextServiceExtensions.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Services\LocalizedTextServiceFileSources.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\MacroService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\MediaService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Models\Membership\MemberCountType.cs" />
diff --git a/src/umbraco.businesslogic/ui.cs b/src/umbraco.businesslogic/ui.cs
index 24dc9933ad..e6bfbb2435 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.businesslogic/ui.cs
+++ b/src/umbraco.businesslogic/ui.cs
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                 string.Format("{0}/{1}", Area, Key),
                 GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage(u)),
-                ConvertToObjectVars(Variables));
+                ConvertToDictionaryVars(Variables));
         }
 
         internal static string Text(string area, string key, string[] variables)
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                 string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                 GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage()),
-                ConvertToObjectVars(variables));
+                ConvertToDictionaryVars(variables));
         }
 
         internal static string Text(string area, string key, string[] variables, IUser u)
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                 string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                 GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage(u)),
-                ConvertToObjectVars(variables));
+                ConvertToDictionaryVars(variables));
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                 string.Format("{0}/{1}", Area, Key),
                 GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage(u)),
-                ConvertToObjectVars(new[] { Variable }));
+                ConvertToDictionaryVars(new[] { Variable }));
         }
 
         internal static string Text(string area, string key, string variable)
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                 string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                 GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage()),
-                ConvertToObjectVars(new[] { variable }));
+                ConvertToDictionaryVars(new[] { variable }));
         }
 
         internal static string Text(string area, string key, string variable, IUser u)
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                 string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                 GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage(u)),
-                ConvertToObjectVars(new[] { variable }));
+                ConvertToDictionaryVars(new[] { variable }));
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage()),
-               ConvertToObjectVars(variables));
+               ConvertToDictionaryVars(variables));
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage()),
-               ConvertToObjectVars(new[] { variable }));
+               ConvertToDictionaryVars(new[] { variable }));
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ namespace umbraco
             return ApplicationContext.Current.Services.TextService.Localize(
                string.Format("{0}/{1}", area, key),
                GetCultureFromUserLanguage(GetLanguage()),
-               ConvertToObjectVars(variables));
+               ConvertToDictionaryVars(variables));
         }
     
         /// <summary>
@@ -327,8 +327,11 @@ namespace umbraco
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="variables"></param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        internal static IDictionary<string, string> ConvertToObjectVars(string[] variables)
+        internal static IDictionary<string, string> ConvertToDictionaryVars(string[] variables)
         {
+            if (variables == null) return null;
+            if (variables.Any() == false) return null;
+
             return variables.Select((s, i) => new {index = i.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture), value = s})
                 .ToDictionary(keyvals => keyvals.index, keyvals => keyvals.value);
         }