diff --git a/wp-includes/functions.php b/wp-includes/functions.php
index d31e58ae42..4a4a944e84 100644
--- a/wp-includes/functions.php
+++ b/wp-includes/functions.php
@@ -2981,9 +2981,15 @@ function _doing_it_wrong( $function, $message, $version ) {
 
 	// Allow plugin to filter the output error trigger
 	if ( WP_DEBUG && apply_filters( 'doing_it_wrong_trigger_error', true ) ) {
-		$version = is_null( $version ) ? '' : sprintf( __( '(This message was added in version %s.)' ), $version );
-		$message .= ' ' . __( 'Please see <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Debugging_in_WordPress">Debugging in WordPress</a> for more information.' );
-		trigger_error( sprintf( __( '%1$s was called <strong>incorrectly</strong>. %2$s %3$s' ), $function, $message, $version ) );
+		if ( function_exists( '__' ) ) {
+			$version = is_null( $version ) ? '' : sprintf( __( '(This message was added in version %s.)' ), $version );
+			$message .= ' ' . __( 'Please see <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Debugging_in_WordPress">Debugging in WordPress</a> for more information.' );
+			trigger_error( sprintf( __( '%1$s was called <strong>incorrectly</strong>. %2$s %3$s' ), $function, $message, $version ) );
+		} else {
+			$version = is_null( $version ) ? '' : sprintf( '(This message was added in version %s.)', $version );
+			$message .= ' Please see <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Debugging_in_WordPress">Debugging in WordPress</a> for more information.';
+			trigger_error( sprintf( '%1$s was called <strong>incorrectly</strong>. %2$s %3$s', $function, $message, $version ) );
+		}
 	}
 }