Index: wp-admin/includes/schema.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/includes/schema.php	(revision 19991)
+++ wp-admin/includes/schema.php	(working copy)
@@ -883,6 +883,19 @@
 
 --The Team @ SITE_NAME' );
 
+	$welcome_user_email = __( 'Dear User,
+
+Your new account is set up.
+
+You can log in with the following information:
+Username: USERNAME
+Password: PASSWORD
+LOGINLINK
+
+Thanks!
+
+--The Team @ SITE_NAME' );
+
 	$sitemeta = array(
 		'site_name' => $site_name,
 		'admin_email' => $site_user->user_email,
@@ -896,6 +909,7 @@
 		'illegal_names' => array( 'www', 'web', 'root', 'admin', 'main', 'invite', 'administrator', 'files' ),
 		'wpmu_upgrade_site' => $wp_db_version,
 		'welcome_email' => $welcome_email,
+		'welcome_user_email' => $welcome_user_email,
 		'first_post' => __( 'Welcome to <a href="SITE_URL">SITE_NAME</a>. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!' ),
 		// @todo - network admins should have a method of editing the network siteurl (used for cookie hash)
 		'siteurl' => get_option( 'siteurl' ) . '/',
Index: wp-includes/ms-functions.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/ms-functions.php	(revision 19991)
+++ wp-includes/ms-functions.php	(working copy)
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@
 		return false;
 
 	$welcome_email = stripslashes( get_site_option( 'welcome_email' ) );
-	if ( $welcome_email == false )
+	if ( false == $welcome_email )
 		$welcome_email = stripslashes( __( 'Dear User,
 
 Your new SITE_NAME site has been successfully set up at:
@@ -1277,8 +1277,21 @@
 	if ( !apply_filters('wpmu_welcome_user_notification', $user_id, $password, $meta) )
 		return false;
 
-	$welcome_email = get_site_option( 'welcome_user_email' );
+	$welcome_email = stripslashes( get_site_option( 'welcome_user_email' ) );
+	if ( false == $welcome_email )
+		$welcome_email = __( 'Dear User,
 
+Your new account is set up.
+
+You can log in with the following information:
+Username: USERNAME
+Password: PASSWORD
+LOGINLINK
+
+Thanks!
+
+--The Team @ SITE_NAME' );
+
 	$user = new WP_User($user_id);
 
 	$welcome_email = apply_filters( 'update_welcome_user_email', $welcome_email, $user_id, $password, $meta);
@@ -1883,33 +1896,6 @@
 add_filter('option_users_can_register', 'users_can_register_signup_filter');
 
 /**
- * Ensure that the welcome message is not empty. Currently unused.
- *
- * @since MU
- *
- * @param string $text
- * @return string
- */
-function welcome_user_msg_filter( $text ) {
-	if ( !$text ) {
-		return __( 'Dear User,
-
-Your new account is set up.
-
-You can log in with the following information:
-Username: USERNAME
-Password: PASSWORD
-LOGINLINK
-
-Thanks!
-
---The Team @ SITE_NAME' );
-	}
-	return $text;
-}
-add_filter( 'site_option_welcome_user_email', 'welcome_user_msg_filter' );
-
-/**
  * Whether to force SSL on content.
  *
  * @since 2.8.5