diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 3712bea..cb30b8c 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -17,25 +17,23 @@ intllib.getters = intllib.getters or {}
 intllib.strings = {}
 
 
-local function noop_getter(s)
-	return s
-end
-
-
 local INS_CHAR = intllib.INSERTION_CHAR
 local insertion_pattern = "("..INS_CHAR.."?)"..INS_CHAR.."(%(?)(%d+)(%)?)"
 
-local function make_getter(strs)
+local function make_getter(msgstrs)
 	return function(s, ...)
-		local str = strs[s]
+		local str
+		if strs then
+			str = msgstrs[s]
+		end
 		if not str or str == "" then
-			return s
+			str = s
 		end
 		if select("#", ...) == 0 then
 			return str
 		end
 		local args = {...}
-		local str = str:gsub(insertion_pattern, function(escape, open, num, close)
+		str = str:gsub(insertion_pattern, function(escape, open, num, close)
 			if escape == "" then
 				local replacement = tostring(args[tonumber(num)])
 				if open == "" then
@@ -55,11 +53,7 @@ function intllib.Getter(modname)
 	modname = modname or minetest.get_current_modname()
 	if not intllib.getters[modname] then
 		local msgstr = intllib.get_strings(modname)
-		if msgstr then
-			intllib.getters[modname] = make_getter(msgstr)
-		else
-			intllib.getters[modname] = noop_getter
-		end
+		intllib.getters[modname] = make_getter(msgstr)
 	end
 	return intllib.getters[modname]
 end