Index: /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/ExceptionDialogUtil.java
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/ExceptionDialogUtil.java	(revision 16216)
+++ /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/ExceptionDialogUtil.java	(revision 16217)
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@
 
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.data.osm.OsmPrimitive;
-import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.widgets.HtmlPanel;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.io.ChangesetClosedException;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.io.IllegalDataException;
@@ -45,5 +44,5 @@
         return HelpAwareOptionPane.showOptionDialog(
                 MainApplication.getMainFrame(),
-                new HtmlPanel(msg),
+                msg,
                 title,
                 JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE,
@@ -336,5 +335,5 @@
         Object msg = null;
         if (e.isHtml() && body != null && body.startsWith("<") && body.contains("<html>")) {
-            msg = new HtmlPanel(body);
+            // use html string as is
         } else {
             msg = ExceptionUtil.explainGeneric(e);
Index: /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/HelpAwareOptionPane.java
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/HelpAwareOptionPane.java	(revision 16216)
+++ /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/HelpAwareOptionPane.java	(revision 16217)
@@ -28,5 +28,5 @@
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.util.GuiHelper;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.util.WindowGeometry;
-import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.widgets.JMultilineLabel;
+import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.widgets.HtmlPanel;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.tools.ImageProvider;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.tools.ImageProvider.ImageSizes;
@@ -258,7 +258,13 @@
             }
         }
-
+        final Object content;
+        if (msg instanceof String) {
+            String msgStr = (String) msg;
+            content = new HtmlPanel(msgStr.startsWith("<html>") ? msgStr : "<html>" + msgStr + "</html>");
+        } else {
+            content = msg;
+        }
         final JOptionPane pane = new JOptionPane(
-                msg instanceof String ? new JMultilineLabel((String) msg, true) : msg,
+                content,
                 messageType,
                 JOptionPane.DEFAULT_OPTION,
