diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index ed7b8e00d..1bd7666fa 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -1197,7 +1197,7 @@ $.extend($.validator, {
 				url: param,
 				mode: "abort",
 				port: "validate" + element.name,
-				dataType: "json",
+				dataType: "text",
 				data: data,
 				context: validator.currentForm,
 				success: function( response ) {
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 22156c785..7de55299b 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ $.mockjax({
 $.mockjax({
 	url: "users2.php",
 	data: { username: "asdf"},
-	responseText: "\"asdf is already taken, please try something else\"",
+	responseText: "asdf is already taken, please try something else",
 	responseStatus: 200,
 	responseTime: 1
 });
@@ -1704,4 +1704,4 @@ test("Rules allowed to have a value of zero valid greater", function() {
 
 	label = $("#ranges label");
 	equal( label.text(), "", "Correct error label" );
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});