diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/logging/InvalidSlf4jMessageFormatRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/logging/InvalidSlf4jMessageFormatRule.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..343e7de20b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/logging/InvalidSlf4jMessageFormatRule.java
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.logging;
+
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTArgumentList;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTClassOrInterfaceBody;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTClassOrInterfaceType;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTExpression;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTFieldDeclaration;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTLiteral;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTMethodDeclaration;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTName;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPrimaryExpression;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPrimaryPrefix;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPrimarySuffix;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTVariableDeclarator;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTVariableDeclaratorId;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.AbstractJavaTypeNode;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.AbstractJavaRule;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.symboltable.NameDeclaration;
+
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+
+public class InvalidSlf4jMessageFormatRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
+
+	private static final Set<String> LOGGER_LEVELS;
+	private static final String LOOGER_CLASS = "org.slf4j.Logger";
+	static {
+		LOGGER_LEVELS = Collections.unmodifiableSet(
+				new HashSet<String>(Arrays.asList("trace", "debug", "info", "warn", "error")));
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Object visit(final ASTName node, final Object data) {
+		final NameDeclaration nameDeclaration = node.getNameDeclaration();
+		// ignore imports
+		if (nameDeclaration == null) {
+			return super.visit(node, data);
+		}
+
+		// ignore non slf4j logger
+		if (!((ASTVariableDeclaratorId) nameDeclaration.getNode()).getType().getName().equals(LOOGER_CLASS)) {
+			return super.visit(node, data);
+		}
+
+		// get the node that contains the logger
+		final ASTPrimaryExpression parentNode = node.getFirstParentOfType(ASTPrimaryExpression.class);
+
+		// get the log level
+		final String method = parentNode.getFirstChildOfType(ASTPrimaryPrefix.class)
+				.getFirstChildOfType(ASTName.class).getImage().replace(nameDeclaration.getImage() + ".", "");
+
+		// ignore if not a log level
+		if (!LOGGER_LEVELS.contains(method)) {
+			return super.visit(node, data);
+		}
+
+		// find the arguments
+		final List<ASTPrimaryExpression> params = new LinkedList<ASTPrimaryExpression>();
+		final List<ASTExpression> argumentList = parentNode.getFirstChildOfType(ASTPrimarySuffix.class)
+				.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTArgumentList.class).findChildrenOfType(ASTExpression.class);
+		for (final ASTExpression astExpression : argumentList) {
+			params.add(astExpression.getFirstChildOfType(ASTPrimaryExpression.class));
+		}
+
+		final ASTPrimaryExpression messageParam = params.get(0);
+		//remove the message parameter
+		params.remove(0);
+		final int expectedArguments = expectedArguments(messageParam);
+
+		if (expectedArguments == 0) {
+			// ignore if we are not expecting arguments to format the message
+			return super.visit(node, data);
+		}
+
+		// Remove throwable param, since it is shown separately.
+		removeThrowableParam(params);
+
+		if (params.size() < expectedArguments) {
+			addViolationWithMessage(data, node, "Missing arguments," + getExpectedMessage(params, expectedArguments));
+		} else if (params.size() > expectedArguments) {
+			addViolationWithMessage(data, node, "Too many arguments," + getExpectedMessage(params, expectedArguments));
+		}
+
+		return super.visit(node, data);
+	}
+
+	private void removeThrowableParam(final List<ASTPrimaryExpression> params) {
+		final Iterator<ASTPrimaryExpression> it = params.iterator();
+		while (it.hasNext()) {
+			final ASTClassOrInterfaceType throwable = it.next().getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTClassOrInterfaceType.class);
+			if (throwable != null && Throwable.class.isAssignableFrom(throwable.getType())) {
+				it.remove();
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	private String getExpectedMessage(final List<ASTPrimaryExpression> params, final int expectedArguments) {
+		return " expected " + expectedArguments
+				+ (expectedArguments > 1 ? " arguments " : " argument ") + "but have " + params.size();
+	}
+
+	private int expectedArguments(final ASTPrimaryExpression node) {
+		int count = 0;
+		// look if the logger have a literal message
+		if (node.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTLiteral.class) != null) {
+			count = countPlaceholders(node);
+		} else if (node.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTName.class) != null) {
+			final String variableName = node.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTName.class).getImage();
+			// look if the message is defined locally
+			final List<ASTVariableDeclarator> localValiables = node.getFirstParentOfType(ASTMethodDeclaration.class)
+					.findDescendantsOfType(ASTVariableDeclarator.class);
+			count = getAmountOfExpectedArguments(variableName, localValiables);
+
+			if (count == 0) {
+				// look if the message is defined in a field
+				final List<ASTFieldDeclaration> fieldlist = node.getFirstParentOfType(ASTClassOrInterfaceBody.class)
+						.findDescendantsOfType(ASTFieldDeclaration.class);
+				// only look for ASTVariableDeclarator that are Fields
+				final List<ASTVariableDeclarator> fields = new LinkedList<ASTVariableDeclarator>();
+				for (final ASTFieldDeclaration astFieldDeclaration : fieldlist) {
+					fields.add(astFieldDeclaration.getFirstChildOfType(ASTVariableDeclarator.class));
+				}
+				count = getAmountOfExpectedArguments(variableName, fields);
+			}
+		}
+		return count;
+	}
+
+	private int getAmountOfExpectedArguments(final String variableName, final List<ASTVariableDeclarator> variables) {
+		for (final ASTVariableDeclarator astVariableDeclarator : variables) {
+			if (astVariableDeclarator.getFirstChildOfType(ASTVariableDeclaratorId.class)
+					.getImage().equals(variableName)) {
+				return countPlaceholders(astVariableDeclarator);
+			}
+		}
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	private int countPlaceholders(final AbstractJavaTypeNode node) {
+		return StringUtils.countMatches(node.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTLiteral.class).getImage(), "{}");
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/logging-java.xml b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/logging-java.xml
index 203e502e18..49e8120058 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/logging-java.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/logging-java.xml
@@ -156,6 +156,25 @@ otherwise skip the associate String creation and manipulation.
  	// Add this for performance
 	if (log.isLoggable(Level.FINE)) { ...
  	    log.fine("log something" + " and " + "concat strings");
+]]>
+     </example>
+   </rule>
+
+    <rule name="InvalidSlf4jMessageFormat"
+        language="java"
+        since="5.5.0"
+        message="Invalid message format"
+        class="net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.logging.InvalidSlf4jMessageFormatRule"
+        externalInfoUrl="${pmd.website.baseurl}/rules/java/logging-java.html#InvalidSlf4jMessageFormat">
+            <description>
+Check for invalid message format in slf4j loggers.
+            </description>
+            <priority>5</priority>
+            <example>
+                <![CDATA[
+LOGGER.error("forget the arg {}");
+LOGGER.error("too many args {}", "arg1", "arg2");
+LOGGER.error("param {}", "arg1", new IllegalStateException("arg")); //The exception is shown separately, so is correct.
 ]]>
      </example>
    </rule>
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/LoggingJavaRulesTest.java b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/LoggingJavaRulesTest.java
index b3ce819fe4..740670ff69 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/LoggingJavaRulesTest.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/LoggingJavaRulesTest.java
@@ -16,5 +16,6 @@ public class LoggingJavaRulesTest extends SimpleAggregatorTst {
         addRule(RULESET, "MoreThanOneLogger");
         addRule(RULESET, "SystemPrintln");
         addRule(RULESET, "GuardLogStatementJavaUtil");
+        addRule(RULESET, "InvalidSlf4jMessageFormat");
     }
 }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/xml/InvalidSlf4jMessageFormat.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/xml/InvalidSlf4jMessageFormat.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2daa54a5c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/loggingjava/xml/InvalidSlf4jMessageFormat.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<test-data>
+    <test-code>
+        <description><![CDATA[
+missing argument
+        ]]></description>
+        <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <expected-linenumbers>9</expected-linenumbers>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+public class Foo {
+	private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Foo.class);
+
+	public void call() {
+		final String oneArg = "one argument";
+		LOGGER.error("forget the arg {} and {}", oneArg);
+	}
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description><![CDATA[
+too many arguments
+         ]]></description>
+        <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <expected-linenumbers>9</expected-linenumbers>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+public class Foo {
+	private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Foo.class);
+	private final String MESSAGE = "too many args {}";
+
+	public void call() {
+		LOGGER.error(MESSAGE, "arg1", "arg2");
+	}
+}
+         ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description><![CDATA[
+Logger without problems
+        ]]></description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+public class Foo {
+	private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Foo.class);
+
+	public void call() {
+		final String message = "expected {} argument";
+		LOGGER.error(message, 1);
+	}
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+         <description><![CDATA[
+ignore the exception param
+        ]]></description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+public class Foo {
+	private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Foo.class);
+
+	public void call() {
+		LOGGER.error("params {} and {}", "arg1", "arg2", new IllegalStateException("Extra arg"));
+	}
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+</test-data>
\ No newline at end of file