diff --git a/core/server/i18n.js b/core/server/i18n.js
index ad1ebdc031..d69cceeb88 100644
--- a/core/server/i18n.js
+++ b/core/server/i18n.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ var supportedLocales    = ['en'],
     fs                  = require('fs'),
     chalk               = require('chalk'),
     MessageFormat       = require('intl-messageformat'),
+    logging             = require('./logging'),
+    errors              = require('./errors'),
 
     // TODO: fetch this dynamically based on overall blog settings (`key = "default_locale"`) in the `settings` table
     currentLocale       = 'en',
@@ -65,12 +67,14 @@ I18n = {
         path = msgPath.split('.');
         path.forEach(function (key) {
             // reassign matching object, or set to an empty string if there is no match
-            matchingString = matchingString[key] || null;
+            matchingString = matchingString[key] || {};
         });
 
-        if (_.isNull(matchingString)) {
-            console.error('Unable to find matching path [' + msgPath + '] in locale file.\n');
-            matchingString = 'i18n error: path "' + msgPath + '" was not found.';
+        if (_.isObject(matchingString) || _.isEqual(matchingString, {})) {
+            logging.error(new errors.IncorrectUsageError({
+                message: `i18n error: path "${msgPath}" was not found`
+            }));
+            matchingString = blos.errors.errors.anErrorOccurred;
         }
 
         return matchingString;