diff --git a/modules/user.module b/modules/user.module
index 294a0229616cb94a551136ce8bf643f6edbe9255..f6f3f1a53b9cd26b5851b79d0ef1e6bb59eabf1a 100644
--- a/modules/user.module
+++ b/modules/user.module
@@ -923,7 +923,8 @@ function user_login_validate($form_id, $form_values) {
 function user_login_submit($form_id, $form_values) {
   global $user;
   if ($user->uid) {
-    watchdog('user', t('Session opened for %name.', array('%name' => theme('placeholder', $user->name))));
+    // sometimes modules call this function during a bootstrap so we don't use t() here
+    watchdog('user', "Session opened for ". check_plain($user->name));
 
     // Update the user table timestamp noting user has logged in.
     db_query("UPDATE {users} SET login = %d WHERE uid = %d", time(), $user->uid);
diff --git a/modules/user/user.module b/modules/user/user.module
index 294a0229616cb94a551136ce8bf643f6edbe9255..f6f3f1a53b9cd26b5851b79d0ef1e6bb59eabf1a 100644
--- a/modules/user/user.module
+++ b/modules/user/user.module
@@ -923,7 +923,8 @@ function user_login_validate($form_id, $form_values) {
 function user_login_submit($form_id, $form_values) {
   global $user;
   if ($user->uid) {
-    watchdog('user', t('Session opened for %name.', array('%name' => theme('placeholder', $user->name))));
+    // sometimes modules call this function during a bootstrap so we don't use t() here
+    watchdog('user', "Session opened for ". check_plain($user->name));
 
     // Update the user table timestamp noting user has logged in.
     db_query("UPDATE {users} SET login = %d WHERE uid = %d", time(), $user->uid);