diff --git a/libraries/joomla/language/language.php b/libraries/joomla/language/language.php
index 1eb40fb3d64cf..9c98ad9ad6e66 100644
--- a/libraries/joomla/language/language.php
+++ b/libraries/joomla/language/language.php
@@ -830,7 +830,21 @@ protected function parse($filename)
 			ini_set('track_errors', true);
 		}
 
-		$strings = @parse_ini_file($filename);
+		if (!function_exists('parse_ini_file'))
+		{
+			$contents = file_get_contents($filename);
+			$contents = str_replace('_QQ_', '"\""', $contents);
+			$strings = @parse_ini_string($contents);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$strings = @parse_ini_file($filename);
+		}
+
+		if (!is_array($strings))
+		{
+			$strings = array();
+		}
 
 		// Restore error tracking to what it was before.
 		if ($this->debug)
@@ -840,7 +854,7 @@ protected function parse($filename)
 			$this->debugFile($filename);
 		}
 
-		return is_array($strings) ? $strings : array();
+		return $strings;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/language/JLanguageTest.php b/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/language/JLanguageTest.php
index 61f5009326318..5132e6bd6b605 100644
--- a/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/language/JLanguageTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/suites/libraries/joomla/language/JLanguageTest.php
@@ -739,22 +739,22 @@ public function testSetSearchDisplayedCharactersNumberCallback()
 	public function testExists()
 	{
 		$this->assertFalse(
-			JLanguage::exists(null)
+			JLanguageHelper::exists(null)
 		);
 
 		$basePath = __DIR__ . '/data';
 
 		$this->assertTrue(
-			JLanguage::exists('en-GB', $basePath)
+			JLanguageHelper::exists('en-GB', $basePath)
 		);
 
 		$this->assertFalse(
-			JLanguage::exists('es-ES', $basePath)
+			JLanguageHelper::exists('es-ES', $basePath)
 		);
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Test...
+	 * Test parsing of language ini files
 	 *
 	 * @return void
 	 */
@@ -774,7 +774,11 @@ public function testParse()
 			'Line: ' . __LINE__ . ' test that the strings were parsed correctly.'
 		);
 
-		$strings = $this->inspector->parse(__DIR__ . '/data/bad.ini');
+		/**
+		 * suppressor used as we know this will generate a warning message
+		 * syntax error, unexpected BOOL_TRUE in
+		 */
+		$strings = @$this->inspector->parse(__DIR__ . '/data/bad.ini');
 
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$strings,