diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.init.js b/js/jquery.mobile.init.js
index 951a18fc..2758bae9 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.init.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.init.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 	//loading div which appears during Ajax requests
 	//will not appear if $.mobile.loadingMessage is false
-	var $loader = $.mobile.loadingMessage ?		$( "<div class='ui-loader ui-body-a ui-corner-all'>" + "<span class='ui-icon ui-icon-loading spin'></span>" + "<h1>" + $.mobile.loadingMessage + "</h1>" + "</div>" )	: undefined;
+	var $loader = $( "<div class='ui-loader ui-body-a ui-corner-all'><span class='ui-icon ui-icon-loading spin'></span><h1></h1></div>" );
 
 	$.extend($.mobile, {
 		// turn on/off page loading message.
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
 				var activeBtn = $( "." + $.mobile.activeBtnClass ).first();
 			
 				$loader
+					.find( "h1" )
+						.text( $.mobile.loadingMessage )
+						.end()
 					.appendTo( $.mobile.pageContainer )
 					//position at y center (if scrollTop supported), above the activeBtn (if defined), or just 100px from top
 					.css( {
diff --git a/tests/unit/init/init_core.js b/tests/unit/init/init_core.js
index 4d7db6d6..6f474328 100644
--- a/tests/unit/init/init_core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/init/init_core.js
@@ -201,5 +201,16 @@
 				start();
 			}, 500);
 		});
+		
+		asyncTest( "page loading should contain custom loading message when set during runtime", function(){
+			$.mobile.loadingMessage = "bar";
+			$.mobile.pageLoading(false);
+
+			setTimeout(function(){
+				same($(".ui-loader h1").text(), "bar");
+				start();
+			}, 500);
+		});
+		
 	});
 })(jQuery);