diff --git a/src/messages.ts b/src/messages.ts
index cf18a666e..60c17e686 100644
--- a/src/messages.ts
+++ b/src/messages.ts
@@ -588,8 +588,16 @@ export class Messages<T extends string> {
     }
     const messages = ensureArray(msg);
     return messages.map((message) => {
-      ensureString(message);
-      return util.format(message, ...tokens);
+      const msgStr = ensureString(message);
+      // If the message does not contain a specifier, util.format still appends the token to the end.
+      // The 'markdownLoader' automatically splits bulleted lists into arrays.
+      // This causes the token to be appended to each line regardless of the presence of a specifier.
+      // Here we check for the presence of a specifier and only format the message if one is present.
+      // https://nodejs.org/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args
+      // https://regex101.com/r/8Hf8Z6/1
+      const specifierRegex = new RegExp('%[sdifjoO]{1}', 'gm');
+
+      return specifierRegex.test(msgStr) ? util.format(msgStr, ...tokens) : msgStr;
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/messagesTest.ts b/test/unit/messagesTest.ts
index a72e1a10b..63ab1f11b 100644
--- a/test/unit/messagesTest.ts
+++ b/test/unit/messagesTest.ts
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ describe('Messages', () => {
 
     it('should return single string from array of messages', () => {
       expect(messages.getMessage('manyMsgs', ['blah', 864])).to.equal(
-        `hello blah 864${EOL}world blah 864${EOL}test message 2 blah and 864`
+        `hello${EOL}world${EOL}test message 2 blah and 864`
       );
     });
 
     it('should return multiple string from array of messages', () => {
       expect(messages.getMessages('manyMsgs', ['blah', 864])).to.deep.equal([
-        'hello blah 864',
-        'world blah 864',
+        'hello',
+        'world',
         'test message 2 blah and 864',
       ]);
     });