diff --git a/i18n.js b/i18n.js
index 9507405..2192eea 100644
--- a/i18n.js
+++ b/i18n.js
@@ -273,10 +273,9 @@ const i18n = function I18n(_OPTS = false) {
     // called like __({phrase: "Hello", locale: "en"})
     if (typeof phrase === 'object') {
       if (
-        typeof phrase.locale === 'string' &&
         typeof phrase.phrase === 'string'
       ) {
-        msg = translate(phrase.locale, phrase.phrase)
+        msg = translate(getLocaleFromObject(phrase), phrase.phrase)
       }
     }
     // called like __("Hello")
@@ -309,11 +308,10 @@ const i18n = function I18n(_OPTS = false) {
     // called like __({phrase: "Hello", locale: "en"})
     if (typeof phrase === 'object') {
       if (
-        typeof phrase.locale === 'string' &&
         typeof phrase.phrase === 'string'
       ) {
         msg = phrase.phrase
-        targetLocale = phrase.locale
+        targetLocale = getLocaleFromObject(phrase)
       }
     }
     // called like __("Hello")
@@ -392,12 +390,11 @@ const i18n = function I18n(_OPTS = false) {
     // called like __n({singular: "%s cat", plural: "%s cats", locale: "en"}, 3)
     if (typeof singular === 'object') {
       if (
-        typeof singular.locale === 'string' &&
         typeof singular.singular === 'string' &&
         typeof singular.plural === 'string'
       ) {
-        targetLocale = singular.locale
-        msg = translate(singular.locale, singular.singular, singular.plural)
+        targetLocale = getLocaleFromObject(singular) || defaultLocale;
+        msg = translate(targetLocale, singular.singular, singular.plural)
       }
       args.unshift(count)
 
diff --git a/test/i18n.mf.js b/test/i18n.mf.js
index e6d969d..171c747 100644
--- a/test/i18n.mf.js
+++ b/test/i18n.mf.js
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ const should = require('should')
 describe('parsing Messageformat phrases', () => {
   const mfTest = {}
 
+  const i18nWithDefault = new i18n.I18n({
+    locales: ['en', 'de'],
+    defaultLocale: 'en',
+    directory: './locales',
+    updateFiles: false,
+    objectNotation: true,
+    retryInDefaultLocale: true
+  })
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     i18n.configure({
       locales: ['en', 'de', 'fr', 'ru'],
@@ -184,4 +193,44 @@ describe('parsing Messageformat phrases', () => {
       mfTest.__mf('mftest', { NUM: 21, lang: 'russian' })
     )
   })
+
+  describe('phrase input as object', () => {
+    it('should work with simple strings', () => {
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__mf({ phrase: 'Hello', locale: 'de' }), 'Hallo')
+    })
+
+    it('should work with basic replacements', () => {
+      should.equal(
+        i18nWithDefault.__mf(
+          { phrase: 'Hello {name}', locale: 'de' },
+          { name: 'Marcus' }
+        ),
+        'Hallo Marcus'
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should work with plurals', () => {
+      should.equal(
+        i18nWithDefault.__mf({phrase: 'mftest', locale: 'de'}, { NUM: 0, lang: 'german' }),
+        'In german there others for 0'
+      )
+      should.equal(
+        i18nWithDefault.__mf({phrase: 'mftest', locale: 'de'}, { NUM: 1, lang: 'german' }),
+        'In german there is one for 1'
+      )
+      should.equal(
+        i18nWithDefault.__mf({phrase: 'mftest', locale: 'de'}, { NUM: 2, lang: 'german' }),
+        'In german there others for 2'
+      )
+      should.equal(
+        i18nWithDefault.__mf({phrase: 'mftest', locale: 'de'}, { NUM: 3, lang: 'german' }),
+        'In german there others for 3'
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should use translations from defaultLocale if provided locale is "undefined" or "null"', () => {
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__mf({ phrase: 'greeting.formal', locale: undefined }), 'Hello')
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__mf({ phrase: 'greeting.formal', locale: null }), 'Hello')
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/test/i18n.retryInDefaultLocale.js b/test/i18n.retryInDefaultLocale.js
index 7a9c7c7..97d8edd 100644
--- a/test/i18n.retryInDefaultLocale.js
+++ b/test/i18n.retryInDefaultLocale.js
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ describe('retryInDefaultLocale', () => {
       should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__('greeting.formal'), 'Hello')
     })
 
+    it('should use translations from defaultLocale if provided locale is "undefined" or "null"', () => {
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__({ phrase: 'greeting.formal', locale: undefined }), 'Hello')
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__({ phrase: 'greeting.formal', locale: null }), 'Hello')
+    })
+
     it('should default "en" when locale is set to unconfigured value', () => {
       i18nWithDefault.setLocale('sv')
       should.equal(i18nWithDefault.getLocale(), 'en')
@@ -66,6 +71,11 @@ describe('retryInDefaultLocale', () => {
       should.equal(i18nNoDefault.__('greeting.formal'), 'Hello')
     })
 
+    it('should use translation from defaultValue if provided locale is "undefined" or "null"', () => {
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__({ phrase: 'greeting.formal', locale: undefined }), 'Hello')
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__({ phrase: 'greeting.formal', locale: null }), 'Hello')
+    })
+
     it('should default "en" when locale is set to unconfigured value', () => {
       i18nNoDefault.setLocale('sv')
       should.equal(i18nNoDefault.getLocale(), 'en')
@@ -106,6 +116,11 @@ describe('retryInDefaultLocale', () => {
       should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__n('%s star', 3), '3 stars')
     })
 
+    it('should use translation from defaultValue if provided locale is "undefined" or "null"', () => {
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__n({ singular: '%s star', plural: '%s stars', locale: undefined }, 3), '3 stars')
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__n({ singular: '%s star', plural: '%s stars', locale: null }, 3), '3 stars')
+    })
+
     it('should default "en" when locale is set to unconfigured value', () => {
       i18nWithDefault.setLocale('sv')
       should.equal(i18nWithDefault.getLocale(), 'en')
@@ -147,6 +162,11 @@ describe('retryInDefaultLocale', () => {
       should.equal(i18nNoDefault.__n('%s star', 3), '3 stars')
     })
 
+    it('should use translation from defaultValue if provided locale is "undefined" or "null"', () => {
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__n({ singular: '%s star', plural: '%s stars', locale: undefined }, 3), '3 stars')
+      should.equal(i18nWithDefault.__n({ singular: '%s star', plural: '%s stars', locale: null }, 3), '3 stars')
+    })
+
     it('should default "en" when locale is set to unconfigured value', () => {
       i18nNoDefault.setLocale('sv')
       should.equal(i18nNoDefault.getLocale(), 'en')