diff --git handlers/views_handler_area_text.inc handlers/views_handler_area_text.inc
index 6dd1621..6fa03d7 100644
--- handlers/views_handler_area_text.inc
+++ handlers/views_handler_area_text.inc
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ class views_handler_area_text extends views_handler_area {
 
   function option_definition() {
     $options = parent::option_definition();
-    $options['content'] = array('default' => '', 'translatable' => TRUE);
+    $options['content'] = array('default' => '', 'translatable' => TRUE, 'format' => 'format');
     $options['format'] = array('default' => variable_get('filter_default_format', 1));
     return $options;
   }
diff --git includes/base.inc includes/base.inc
index f91357f..5d6c739 100644
--- includes/base.inc
+++ includes/base.inc
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class views_object {
           // sent in, and the name of the property being processed.
           $translation_data = array(
             'value' => $value,
-            'format' => isset($options[$key . '_format']) ? $options[$key . '_format'] : NULL,
+            'format' => isset($definition[$key]['format']) ? $options[$key][$definition[$key]['format']] : NULL,
             'keys' => array_merge(array($this->view->name), $localization_keys, array($key)),
           );
           $storage[$key] = $this->view->localization_plugin->translate($translation_data);
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class views_object {
           $translatable[] = array(
             'value' => $value,
             'keys' => $translation_keys,
-            'format' => isset($options[$key . '_format']) ? $options[$key . '_format'] : NULL,
+            'format' => isset($definition[$key]['format']) ? $options[$key][$definition[$key]['format']] : NULL,
           );
         }
       }