diff --git a/jul-to-slf4j/src/main/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandler.java b/jul-to-slf4j/src/main/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandler.java
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 7acacfea..4ca5320d
--- a/jul-to-slf4j/src/main/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandler.java
+++ b/jul-to-slf4j/src/main/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandler.java
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@ public class SLF4JBridgeHandler extends Handler {
       }
     }
     Object[] params = record.getParameters();
+    // avoid formatting when there are no or 0 parameters. see also
+    // http://bugzilla.slf4j.org/show_bug.cgi?id=212
     if (params != null && params.length > 0) {
       message = MessageFormat.format(message, params);
     }
diff --git a/jul-to-slf4j/src/test/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandlerTest.java b/jul-to-slf4j/src/test/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandlerTest.java
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 2e707813..4874bdfd
--- a/jul-to-slf4j/src/test/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandlerTest.java
+++ b/jul-to-slf4j/src/test/java/org/slf4j/bridge/SLF4JBridgeHandlerTest.java
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public class SLF4JBridgeHandlerTest extends TestCase {
 
   public void testLogWithPlaceholderNoParameters() {
     SLF4JBridgeHandler.install();
-    String msg = "msg {}";
+    String msg = "msg {non-number-string}";
     julLogger.logp(Level.INFO, "SLF4JBridgeHandlerTest", "testLogWithPlaceholderNoParameters", msg, new Object[0]);
 
     assertEquals(1, listAppender.list.size());
diff --git a/slf4j-site/src/site/pages/news.html b/slf4j-site/src/site/pages/news.html
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 09bec595..1c684b6f
--- a/slf4j-site/src/site/pages/news.html
+++ b/slf4j-site/src/site/pages/news.html
@@ -29,8 +29,15 @@
 
    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1"/>
 
-   <h3> November, 2012 - Release of SLF4J 1.7.3</h3>
+   <h3>13th of March, 2013 - Release of SLF4J 1.7.3</h3>
 
+   <p>The jul-to-slf4j bridge now correctly handles cases where the
+   message string contains {}-placeholders but has no or zero
+   parameters. This fixes <a
+   href="http://bugzilla.slf4j.org/show_bug.cgi?id=212">bug
+   #212</a>. The relevant patch was provided by Matthew Preston in a
+   git pull request.</p>
+   
    <p>Added missing methods and classes in log4j-over-slf4j module for
    Velocity compatibility.  This isssue was reported in <a
    href="http://bugzilla.slf4j.org/show_bug.cgi?id=280">bug 280</a> by