diff --git a/lib/i18n/backend/fallbacks.rb b/lib/i18n/backend/fallbacks.rb
index f83bfc30..a3badaea 100644
--- a/lib/i18n/backend/fallbacks.rb
+++ b/lib/i18n/backend/fallbacks.rb
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ module Fallbacks
       def translate(locale, key, options = {})
         return super unless options.fetch(:fallback, true)
         return super if options[:fallback_in_progress]
-        original_default = options[:default]
-        extract_non_symbol_default!(options)
+        default = extract_non_symbol_default!(options) if options[:default]
 
         begin
           options[:fallback_in_progress] = true
@@ -56,7 +55,9 @@ def translate(locale, key, options = {})
           options.delete(:fallback_in_progress)
         end
 
-        return super(locale, nil, options.merge(:default => original_default)) if options.key?(:default)
+        return if options.key?(:default) && options[:default].nil?
+
+        return super(locale, nil, options.merge(:default => default)) if default
         throw(:exception, I18n::MissingTranslation.new(locale, key, options))
       end
 
diff --git a/test/backend/fallbacks_test.rb b/test/backend/fallbacks_test.rb
index 23e47131..a220c038 100644
--- a/test/backend/fallbacks_test.rb
+++ b/test/backend/fallbacks_test.rb
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ def setup
     assert_nil I18n.t(:missing_bar, :locale => :'de-DE', :default => nil)
   end
 
+  test "returns the translation missing message if the default is also missing" do
+    assert_equal 'translation missing: de-DE.missing_bar', I18n.t(:missing_bar, :locale => :'de-DE', :default => [:missing_baz])
+  end
+
   test "returns the :'de-DE' default :baz translation for a missing :'de-DE' when defaults contains Symbol" do
     assert_equal 'Baz in :de-DE', I18n.t(:missing_foo, :locale => :'de-DE', :default => [:baz, "Default Bar"])
   end