diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/components/virtualized-table.jsx b/chrome/content/zotero/components/virtualized-table.jsx
index bb54f8d59c..f1098692f9 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/components/virtualized-table.jsx
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/components/virtualized-table.jsx
@@ -1575,7 +1575,10 @@ function formatColumnName(column) {
 	}
 	else if (/^[^\s]+\w\.\w[^\s]+$/.test(column.label)) {
 		try {
-			return Zotero.getString(column.label);
+			let labelString = Zotero.getString(column.label);
+			if (labelString !== column.label) {
+				return labelString;
+			}
 		}
 		catch (e) {
 			// ignore missing string
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/error.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/error.js
index 7cacee3e1e..031c8448b0 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/error.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/error.js
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ Zotero.Exception.Alert.prototype = {
 	get title() {
 		if(this._title) {
 			try {
-				return Zotero.getString(this._title);
+				let titleString = Zotero.getString(this._title);
+				if (titleString !== this._title) {
+					return titleString;
+				}
 			} catch(e) {}
 		}
 		try {