diff --git a/src/Formatter/Xml.php b/src/Formatter/Xml.php
index 1640be1b..18023072 100644
--- a/src/Formatter/Xml.php
+++ b/src/Formatter/Xml.php
@@ -152,10 +152,15 @@ public function format($event)
         $elt = $dom->appendChild(new \DOMElement($this->_rootElement));
 
         foreach ($dataToInsert as $key => $value) {
-            if($key == "message") {
-                $value = htmlspecialchars($value, ENT_COMPAT, $enc);
+            if (empty($value)
+                || is_scalar($value)
+                || (is_object($value) && method_exists($value,'__toString'))
+            ) {
+                if($key == "message") {
+                    $value = htmlspecialchars($value, ENT_COMPAT, $enc);
+                }
+                $elt->appendChild(new \DOMElement($key, (string)$value));
             }
-            $elt->appendChild(new \DOMElement($key, $value));
         }
 
         $xml = $dom->saveXML();
diff --git a/test/Formatter/XmlTest.php b/test/Formatter/XmlTest.php
index 16849c17..5890c4ad 100644
--- a/test/Formatter/XmlTest.php
+++ b/test/Formatter/XmlTest.php
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 
 namespace ZendTest\Log\Formatter;
 
-use \Zend\Log\Formatter\Xml as XmlFormatter;
+use ZendTest\Log\TestAsset\SerializableObject,
+    \Zend\Log\Formatter\Xml as XmlFormatter;
 
 /**
  * @category   Zend
@@ -127,4 +128,46 @@ public function testFactory()
         $formatter = XmlFormatter::factory($options);
         $this->assertInstanceOf('Zend\Log\Formatter\Xml', $formatter);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @group ZF-11161
+     */
+    public function testNonScalarValuesAreExcludedFromFormattedString()
+    {
+        $options = array(
+            'rootElement' => 'log'
+        );
+        $event = array(
+            'message' => 'tottakai',
+            'priority' => 4,
+            'context' => array('test'=>'one'),
+            'reference' => new XmlFormatter()
+        );
+        $expected = '<log><message>tottakai</message><priority>4</priority></log>';
+
+        $formatter = XmlFormatter::factory($options);
+        $output = $formatter->format($event);
+        $this->assertContains($expected, $output);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @group ZF-11161
+     */
+    public function testObjectsWithStringSerializationAreIncludedInFormattedString()
+    {
+        $options = array(
+            'rootElement' => 'log'
+        );
+        $event = array(
+            'message' => 'tottakai',
+            'priority' => 4,
+            'context' => array('test'=>'one'),
+            'reference' => new SerializableObject()
+        );
+        $expected = '<log><message>tottakai</message><priority>4</priority><reference>ZendTest\Log\TestAsset\SerializableObject</reference></log>';
+
+        $formatter = XmlFormatter::factory($options);
+        $output = $formatter->format($event);
+        $this->assertContains($expected, $output);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/test/TestAsset/SerializableObject.php b/test/TestAsset/SerializableObject.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..703f2db1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TestAsset/SerializableObject.php
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+namespace ZendTest\Log\TestAsset;
+
+class SerializableObject
+{
+    public function __toString()
+    {
+        return __CLASS__;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Writer/FirebugTest.php b/test/Writer/FirebugTest.php
index a87922da..c26e63df 100644
--- a/test/Writer/FirebugTest.php
+++ b/test/Writer/FirebugTest.php
@@ -44,8 +44,15 @@ class FirebugTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
     protected $_writer = null;
     protected $_logger = null;
 
+    /**
+     * Stores the original set timezone
+     * @var string
+     */
+    private $_originaltimezone;
+
     public function setUp()
     {
+        $this->_originaltimezone = date_default_timezone_get();
         date_default_timezone_set('America/Los_Angeles');
 
         // Reset front controller to reset registered plugins and
@@ -74,6 +81,7 @@ public function tearDown()
     {
         Channel\HttpHeaders::destroyInstance();
         FirePhp::destroyInstance();
+        date_default_timezone_set($this->_originaltimezone);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -206,9 +214,9 @@ public function testAdvancedLogging()
         $table = array(
             'Summary line for the table',
             array(
-		        array('Column 1', 'Column 2'),
-		        array('Row 1 c 1',' Row 1 c 2'),
-		        array('Row 2 c 1',' Row 2 c 2')
+                array('Column 1', 'Column 2'),
+                array('Row 1 c 1',' Row 1 c 2'),
+                array('Row 2 c 1',' Row 2 c 2')
             )
         );
 
diff --git a/test/_files/layout.phtml b/test/_files/layout.phtml
index 617726dd..0be65f43 100644
--- a/test/_files/layout.phtml
+++ b/test/_files/layout.phtml
@@ -1 +1 @@
-<?php echo $this->broker('layout')->direct()->events;
\ No newline at end of file
+<?php echo $this->plugin('layout')->direct()->events;
\ No newline at end of file