diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule.java
index 389add0c9b..17edef59b1 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule extends AbstractJavaRulechainRule {
                                     // escape followed by
                                     // an octal digit -- legal but very
                                     // confusing!
-                                    addViolation(data, node);
+                                    addViolation(data, node, "\\" + first + second + " + " + third);
                                 } else {
                                     // if there is a 4th decimal digit, it
                                     // could never be part of
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule extends AbstractJavaRulechainRule {
                                     if (escapeSequence.length() > 3) {
                                         char fourth = escapeSequence.charAt(3);
                                         if (isDecimal(fourth)) {
-                                            addViolation(data, node);
+                                            addViolation(data, node, "\\" + first + second + third + " + " + fourth);
                                         }
                                     }
                                 }
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ public class SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule extends AbstractJavaRulechainRule {
                                 // this is a two-digit octal escape followed
                                 // by a decimal digit
                                 // legal but very confusing
-                                addViolation(data, node);
+                                addViolation(data, node, "\\" + first + second + " + " + third);
                             }
                         }
                     } else if (isDecimal(second)) {
                         // this is a one-digit octal escape followed by a
                         // decimal digit
                         // legal but very confusing
-                        addViolation(data, node);
+                        addViolation(data, node, "\\" + first + " + " + second);
                     }
                 }
             } else if (first == '\\') {
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/errorprone.xml b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/errorprone.xml
index 1849bd2e26..418463ce45 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/errorprone.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/errorprone.xml
@@ -3001,7 +3001,7 @@ public class Foo {
     <rule name="SuspiciousOctalEscape"
           language="java"
           since="1.5"
-          message="Suspicious decimal characters following octal escape in string literal"
+          message="Suspicious decimal characters following octal escape in string literal: {0}"
           class="net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.errorprone.SuspiciousOctalEscapeRule"
           externalInfoUrl="${pmd.website.baseurl}/pmd_rules_java_errorprone.html#suspiciousoctalescape">
         <description>
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml
index 0b2cdf6f2a..29413a50ef 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml
@@ -4,24 +4,25 @@
     xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
     xsi:schemaLocation="http://pmd.sourceforge.net/rule-tests http://pmd.sourceforge.net/rule-tests_1_0_0.xsd">
 
-<!--
     <test-code>
         <description>ok use of octal</description>
         <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
     void bar() {
-        int x = \028;
+        String x = "\027";
     }
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code>
--->
 
     <test-code>
         <description>should be flagged</description>
         <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
         <expected-linenumbers>3</expected-linenumbers>
+        <expected-messages>
+            <message>Suspicious decimal characters following octal escape in string literal: \12 + 8</message>
+        </expected-messages>
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
     void bar() {
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ public class Foo {
     <test-code>
         <description>should be flagged - different octal</description>
         <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <expected-messages>
+            <message>Suspicious decimal characters following octal escape in string literal: \000 + 8</message>
+        </expected-messages>
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
     void bar() {
@@ -46,6 +50,9 @@ public class Foo {
     <test-code>
         <description>should be flagged - different octal</description>
         <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <expected-messages>
+            <message>Suspicious decimal characters following octal escape in string literal: \40 + 0</message>
+        </expected-messages>
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
     void bar() {
@@ -70,6 +77,9 @@ public class Foo {
     <test-code>
         <description>[ 2050064 ] False + SuspiciousOctalEscape with backslash literal, second test case</description>
         <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <expected-messages>
+            <message>Suspicious decimal characters following octal escape in string literal: \12 + 8</message>
+        </expected-messages>
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
     void bar() {