Index: extbase/Classes/MVC/Controller/FlashMessage.php
===================================================================
--- extbase/Classes/MVC/Controller/FlashMessage.php	(revision 0)
+++ extbase/Classes/MVC/Controller/FlashMessage.php	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+<?php
+/***************************************************************
+*  Copyright notice
+*
+*  (c) 2010
+*  All rights reserved
+*
+*  This class is a backport of the corresponding class of FLOW3.
+*  All credits go to the v5 team.
+*
+*  This script is part of the TYPO3 project. The TYPO3 project is
+*  free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+*  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+*  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+*  (at your option) any later version.
+*
+*  The GNU General Public License can be found at
+*  http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html.
+*
+*  This script is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+*  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+*  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+*  GNU General Public License for more details.
+*
+*  This copyright notice MUST APPEAR in all copies of the script!
+***************************************************************/
+
+/**
+ * A class representing flash messages
+ *
+ * @version $Id$
+ * @license http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3 or later
+ * @api
+ */
+class Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage {
+
+	const NOTICE  = -2;
+	const INFO    = -1;
+	const OK      = 0;
+	const WARNING = 1;
+	const ERROR   = 2;
+
+	/**
+	 * @var string The message
+	 */
+	protected $message;
+
+	/**
+	 * @var string The message's severity
+	 */
+	protected $severity = self::OK;
+
+
+	/**
+	 * @var string The message's severity class names
+	 */
+	protected $classes = array(
+		self::NOTICE  => 'notice',
+		self::INFO    => 'information',
+		self::OK      => 'ok',
+		self::WARNING => 'warning',
+		self::ERROR   => 'error',
+	);
+
+	/**
+	 * @var DateTime The message's creation date
+	 */
+	protected $time;
+
+	/**
+	 * Default constructor
+	 *
+	 * @param string  $message The message
+	 * @param integer $severity Optional severity, must be either of Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::NOTICE, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::INFO, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::WARNING or Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::ERROR. Default is Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function __construct($message, $severity = self::OK) {
+		$this->setMessage($message);
+		$this->setSeverity($severity);
+		$this->setTime(new DateTime());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the message
+	 *
+	 * @return string The message
+	 */
+	public function getMessage() {
+		return $this->message;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets the message
+	 *
+	 * @param string $message The message
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function setMessage($message) {
+		$this->message = (string)$message;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the message' severity
+	 *
+	 * @return integer The message' severity, either of Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::NOTICE, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::INFO, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::WARNING or Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::ERROR
+	 */
+	public function getSeverity() {
+		return $this->severity;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets the message' severity
+	 *
+	 * @param integer $severity The severity, must be either of Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::NOTICE, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::INFO, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK, Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::WARNING or Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::ERROR. Default is Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function setSeverity($severity = self::OK) {
+		$this->severity = t3lib_div::intInRange(
+			$severity,
+			self::NOTICE, // minimum
+			self::ERROR, // maximum
+			self::OK // default if out of bounds
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the message' severity class name
+	 *
+	 * @return string The message' severity class name
+	 */
+	public function getClass() {
+		return 'message-' . $this->classes[$this->severity];
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the message's creation date
+	 *
+	 * @return DateTime The DateTime object indicating when this message was created.
+	 */
+	public function getTime() {
+		return $this->time;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets the message's creation date
+	 *
+	 * @param DateTime The DateTime object indicating when this message was created.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function setTime(DateTime $time) {
+		$this->time = $time;
+	}
+
+	public function __toString() {
+		$severities = array(
+			self::NOTICE  => 'NOTICE',
+			self::INFO    => 'INFO',
+			self::OK      => 'OK',
+			self::WARNING => 'WARNING',
+			self::ERROR   => 'ERROR',
+		);
+
+		return $severities[$this->severity] . ': ' . $this->message;
+	}
+
+}
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
Index: extbase/Classes/MVC/Controller/FlashMessages.php
===================================================================
--- extbase/Classes/MVC/Controller/FlashMessages.php	(revision 2527)
+++ extbase/Classes/MVC/Controller/FlashMessages.php	(working copy)
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 
 	/**
 	 * The array of flash messages
-	 * @var array<string>
+	 * @var array<Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage>
 	 */
 	protected $flashMessages = array();
 
@@ -60,14 +60,16 @@
 	/**
 	 * Add another flash message.
 	 *
-	 * @param string $message
+	 * @param string $message The message string.
+	 * @param string $severity Use constants definied in Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage to set the value. Default: Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK
 	 * @return void
 	 * @api
 	 */
-	public function add($message) {
+	public function add($message, $severity = Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage::OK) {
 		if (!is_string($message)) throw new InvalidArgumentException('The flash message must be string, ' . gettype($message) . ' given.', 1243258395);
 		$this->initialize();
-		$this->flashMessages[] = $message;
+		$flashMessage = t3lib_div::makeInstance('Tx_Extbase_MVC_Controller_FlashMessage', $message, $severity);
+		$this->flashMessages[] = $flashMessage;
 	}
 
 	/**
Index: extbase/ext_autoload.php
===================================================================
--- extbase/ext_autoload.php	(revision 2527)
+++ extbase/ext_autoload.php	(working copy)
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 	'tx_extbase_mvc_controller_argumentsvalidator' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Controller/ArgumentsValidator.php',
 	'tx_extbase_mvc_controller_controllercontext' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Controller/ControllerContext.php',
 	'tx_extbase_mvc_controller_controllerinterface' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Controller/ControllerInterface.php',
+	'tx_extbase_mvc_controller_flashmessage' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Controller/FlashMessage.php',
 	'tx_extbase_mvc_controller_flashmessages' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Controller/FlashMessages.php',
 	'tx_extbase_mvc_exception_infiniteloop' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Exception/InfiniteLoop.php',
 	'tx_extbase_mvc_exception_invalidactionname' => $extensionClassesPath . 'MVC/Exception/InvalidActionName.php',
Index: fluid/Classes/ViewHelpers/FlashMessagesViewHelper.php
===================================================================
--- fluid/Classes/ViewHelpers/FlashMessagesViewHelper.php	(revision 2527)
+++ fluid/Classes/ViewHelpers/FlashMessagesViewHelper.php	(working copy)
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 		if (count($flashMessages) > 0) {
 			$tagContent = '';
 			foreach ($flashMessages as $singleFlashMessage) {
-				$tagContent .=  '<li>' . htmlspecialchars($singleFlashMessage) . '</li>';
+				$tagContent .=  '<li class="'. $singleFlashMessage->getClass() .'">' . $singleFlashMessage->getMessage() . '</li>';
 			}
 			$this->tag->setContent($tagContent);
 			return $this->tag->render();