diff --git a/core/i18nEntityProvider.php b/core/i18nEntityProvider.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..836821d1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/i18nEntityProvider.php
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Dynamically provide translatable entites for the {@link i18n} logic.
+ * This is particularly handy for natural language strings in static variables
+ * of a class definition, as the _t() method can only be used in a runtime/instance
+ * context. The provideI18nEntities() method enables you to define your own entities
+ * with your custom naming, mostly involving either the variable name or the array
+ * key. With this in place, you can use a getter method to trigger translation
+ * of your values.
+ * For any statics containing natural language, never use the static directly -
+ * always wrap it in a getter.
+ * 
+ * @package sapphire
+ * @subpackage i18n
+ */
+interface i18nEntityProvider {
+	
+	/**
+	 * Example usage:
+	 * <code>
+	 * class MyTestClass implements i18nEntityProvider {
+	 * function provideI18nEntities() {
+	 * 	$entities = array();
+	 * 	foreach($this->stat('my_static_array) as $key => $value) {
+	 * 		$entities["MyTestClass.my_static_array_{$key}"] = array(
+	 * 			$value,
+	 * 			PR_MEDIUM,
+	 * 			'My context description'
+	 * 		);
+	 * 	}
+	 * 	return $entities;
+	 * }
+	 * 
+	 * static function my_static_array() {
+	 * 	$t_my_static_array = array();
+	 * 	foreach(self::$my_static_array as $k => $v) {
+	 * 		$t_my_static_array[$k] = _t("MyTestClass.my_static_array_{$key}", $v);
+	 * 	}
+	 * 	return $t_my_static_array;
+	 * }
+	 * }
+	 * </code>
+	 * 
+	 * Example usage in {@link DataObject->provideI18nEntities()}.
+	 * 
+	 * @return array All entites in an associative array, with
+	 * entity name as the key, and a numerical array of pseudo-arguments
+	 * for _t() as a value.
+	 */
+	function provideI18nEntities();
+}
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/i18nTextCollector.php b/core/i18nTextCollector.php
index a6c26665c..4587a21f9 100644
--- a/core/i18nTextCollector.php
+++ b/core/i18nTextCollector.php
@@ -1,9 +1,29 @@
 <?php
 /**
+ * SilverStripe-variant of the "gettext" tool:
+ * Parses the string content of all PHP-files and SilverStripe templates
+ * for ocurrences of the _t() translation method. Also uses the {@link i18nEntityProvider}
+ * interface to get dynamically defined entities by executing the 
+ * {@link provideI18nEntities()} method on all implementors of this interface.
+ * 
+ * Collects all found entities (and their natural language text for the default locale)
+ * into language-files for each module in an array notation. Creates or overwrites these files,
+ * e.g. sapphire/lang/en_US.php.
+ * 
+ * The collector needs to be run whenever you make new translatable
+ * entities available. Please don't alter the arrays in language tables manually.
+ * 
+ * Usage through URL: http://localhost/dev/tasks/i18nTextCollector
+ * Usage through URL (module-specific): http://localhost/dev/tasks/i18nTextCollector/?module=mymodule
+ * Usage on CLI: sake dev/tasks/i18nTextCollector
+ * Usage on CLI (module-specific): sake dev/tasks/i18nTextCollector module=mymodule
+ * 
  * @author Bernat Foj Capell <bernat@silverstripe.com>
  * @author Ingo Schommer <FIRSTNAME@silverstripe.com>
  * @package sapphire
- * @subpackage misc
+ * @subpackage i18n
+ * @uses i18nEntityProvider
+ * @uses i18n
  */
 class i18nTextCollector extends Object {
 	
@@ -321,7 +341,9 @@ class i18nTextCollector extends Object {
 		
 		$classes = ClassInfo::classes_for_file($filePath);
 		if($classes) foreach($classes as $class) {
-			if(class_exists($class) && method_exists($class, 'provideI18nEntities')) {
+			// Not all classes can be instanciated without mandatory arguments,
+			// so entity collection doesn't work for all SilverStripe classes currently
+			if(class_exists($class) && in_array('i18nEntityProvider', class_implements(new $class))) {
 				$obj = singleton($class);
 				$entitiesArr = array_merge($entitiesArr,(array)$obj->provideI18nEntities());
 			}
diff --git a/core/model/DataObject.php b/core/model/DataObject.php
index 7d1595ea8..e3e528804 100644
--- a/core/model/DataObject.php
+++ b/core/model/DataObject.php
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
  * @package sapphire
  * @subpackage model
  */
-class DataObject extends ViewableData implements DataObjectInterface {
+class DataObject extends ViewableData implements DataObjectInterface,i18nEntityProvider {
 	/**
 	 * Data stored in this objects database record. An array indexed
 	 * by fieldname.
diff --git a/tests/i18nTest.php b/tests/i18nTest.php
index 8b179f0eb..1f7f747d6 100644
--- a/tests/i18nTest.php
+++ b/tests/i18nTest.php
@@ -14,37 +14,38 @@ class i18nTest extends SapphireTest {
 		global $lang;
 		$oldLocale = i18n::get_locale();
 		i18n::set_locale('de_DE');
-		$obj = new i18nTest_Object();
+		$obj = new i18nTest_DataObject();
 		
-		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_Object']['db_MyProperty'] = 'MyProperty';
-		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_Object']['db_MyProperty'] = 'Mein Attribut';
+		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_DataObject']['db_MyProperty'] = 'MyProperty';
+		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_DataObject']['db_MyProperty'] = 'Mein Attribut';
+
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$obj->fieldLabel('MyProperty'),
 			'Mein Attribut'
 		);
 		
-		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_Object']['has_one_HasOneRelation'] = 'HasOneRelation';
-		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_Object']['has_one_HasOneRelation'] = 'Eins zu eins';
+		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_DataObject']['has_one_HasOneRelation'] = 'HasOneRelation';
+		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_DataObject']['has_one_HasOneRelation'] = 'Eins zu eins';
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$obj->fieldLabel('HasOneRelation'),
 			'Eins zu eins'
 		);
 		
-		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_Object']['has_many_HasManyRelation'] = 'HasManyRelation';
-		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_Object']['has_many_HasManyRelation'] = 'Viel zu eins';
+		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_DataObject']['has_many_HasManyRelation'] = 'HasManyRelation';
+		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_DataObject']['has_many_HasManyRelation'] = 'Viel zu eins';
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$obj->fieldLabel('HasManyRelation'),
 			'Viel zu eins'
 		);
 		
-		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_Object']['many_many_ManyManyRelation'] = 'ManyManyRelation';
-		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_Object']['many_many_ManyManyRelation'] = 'Viel zu viel';
+		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_DataObject']['many_many_ManyManyRelation'] = 'ManyManyRelation';
+		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_DataObject']['many_many_ManyManyRelation'] = 'Viel zu viel';
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$obj->fieldLabel('ManyManyRelation'),
 			'Viel zu viel'
 		);
 		
-		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_Object']['db_MyUntranslatedProperty'] = 'MyUntranslatedProperty';
+		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_DataObject']['db_MyUntranslatedProperty'] = 'MyUntranslatedProperty';
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			$obj->fieldLabel('MyUntranslatedProperty'),
 			'My Untranslated Property'
@@ -53,9 +54,40 @@ class i18nTest extends SapphireTest {
 		i18n::set_locale($oldLocale);
 	}
 	
+	function testProvideI18nEntities() {
+		global $lang;
+		$oldLocale = i18n::get_locale();
+		$lang['en_US']['i18nTest_Object']['my_translatable_property'] = 'Untranslated';
+		$lang['de_DE']['i18nTest_Object']['my_translatable_property'] = 'Übersetzt';
+		
+		i18n::set_locale('en_US');
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			i18nTest_Object::$my_translatable_property,
+			'Untranslated'
+		);
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			i18nTest_Object::my_translatable_property(),
+			'Untranslated'
+		);
+		
+		i18n::set_locale('en_US');
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			i18nTest_Object::my_translatable_property(),
+			'Untranslated',
+			'Getter returns original static value when called in default locale'
+		);
+		
+		i18n::set_locale('de_DE');
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			i18nTest_Object::my_translatable_property(),
+			'Übersetzt',
+			'Getter returns translated value when called in another locale'
+		);
+	}
+	
 }
 
-class i18nTest_Object extends DataObject implements TestOnly {
+class i18nTest_DataObject extends DataObject implements TestOnly {
 	
 	static $db = array(
 		'MyProperty' => 'Varchar',
@@ -75,4 +107,20 @@ class i18nTest_Object extends DataObject implements TestOnly {
 	);
 	
 }
+
+class i18nTest_Object extends Object implements TestOnly, i18nEntityProvider {
+	static $my_translatable_property = "Untranslated";
+	
+	static function my_translatable_property() {
+		return _t("i18nTest_Object.my_translatable_property", self::$my_translatable_property);
+	}
+	
+	function provideI18nEntities() {
+		return array(
+			"i18nTest_Object.my_translatable_property" => array(
+				self::$my_translatable_property
+			)
+		);
+	}
+}
 ?>