diff --git a/src/js_macro_folder.rs b/src/js_macro_folder.rs
index fbc4d70..75fbbdf 100644
--- a/src/js_macro_folder.rs
+++ b/src/js_macro_folder.rs
@@ -23,25 +23,36 @@ impl<'a> JsMacroFolder<'a> {
         }
     }
 
-    fn create_i18n_fn_call_from_tokens(&mut self, callee_obj: Option<Box<Expr>>, tokens: Vec<MsgToken>) -> CallExpr {
+    fn create_message_descriptor_from_tokens(&mut self, tokens: Vec<MsgToken>) -> Expr {
       let parsed = MessageBuilder::parse(tokens, false);
 
       let mut props: Vec<PropOrSpread> = vec![
         create_key_value_prop("id", generate_message_id(&parsed.message_str, "").into()),
-        create_key_value_prop("message", parsed.message),
+
       ];
 
+      if !self.ctx.options.strip_non_essential_fields {
+        props.push(
+          create_key_value_prop("message", parsed.message),
+        );
+      }
+
       if let Some(v) = parsed.values {
         props.push(
           create_key_value_prop("values", v),
         )
       }
 
-      let message_descriptor = Box::new(Expr::Object(ObjectLit {
+      let message_descriptor = Expr::Object(ObjectLit {
         span: DUMMY_SP,
         props,
-      }));
+      });
+
+      return message_descriptor;
+    }
 
+    fn create_i18n_fn_call_from_tokens(&mut self, callee_obj: Option<Box<Expr>>, tokens: Vec<MsgToken>) -> CallExpr {
+      let message_descriptor = Box::new(self.create_message_descriptor_from_tokens(tokens));
       return self.create_i18n_fn_call(callee_obj, vec![message_descriptor.as_arg()]);
     }
 
@@ -127,6 +138,7 @@ impl<'a> JsMacroFolder<'a> {
 
 impl<'a> Fold for JsMacroFolder<'a> {
     fn fold_expr(&mut self, expr: Expr) -> Expr {
+        // t`Message`
         if let Expr::TaggedTpl(tagged_tpl) = &expr {
             let (is_t, callee) = self.ctx.is_lingui_t_call_expr(&tagged_tpl.tag);
 
@@ -138,10 +150,19 @@ impl<'a> Fold for JsMacroFolder<'a> {
             }
         }
 
+        // defineMessage`Message`
+        if let Expr::TaggedTpl(tagged_tpl) = &expr {
+          if let Expr::Ident(ident) = tagged_tpl.tag.as_ref() {
+            if self.ctx.is_define_message_ident(&ident) {
+              let tokens = self.ctx.tokenize_tpl(&tagged_tpl.tpl);
+              return self.create_message_descriptor_from_tokens(tokens);
+            }
+          }
+        }
+
+        // defineMessage({message: "Message"})
         if let Expr::Call(call) = &expr {
-            if let Some(_) = match_callee_name(&call, |n| self.ctx.is_lingui_ident(
-                 "defineMessage", n
-            )) {
+            if let Some(_) = match_callee_name(&call, |n| self.ctx.is_define_message_ident(n)) {
                 if call.args.len() == 1 {
                     let descriptor = self.update_msg_descriptor_props(
                         call.args.clone().into_iter().next().unwrap().expr
diff --git a/src/macro_utils.rs b/src/macro_utils.rs
index 9ffd7f2..174a428 100644
--- a/src/macro_utils.rs
+++ b/src/macro_utils.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ impl MacroCtx {
         false
     }
 
+    pub fn is_define_message_ident(&self, ident: &Ident) -> bool {
+      return self.is_lingui_ident("defineMessage", &ident)
+        || self.is_lingui_ident("msg", &ident)
+    }
+
     /// given import {plural as i18nPlural} from "@lingui/macro";
     /// get_ident_export_name("i18nPlural") would return `plural`
     pub fn get_ident_export_name(&self, ident: &Ident) -> Option<&JsWord> {
diff --git a/src/tests/js_define_message.rs b/src/tests/js_define_message.rs
index 64879de..0b0ddcc 100644
--- a/src/tests/js_define_message.rs
+++ b/src/tests/js_define_message.rs
@@ -3,14 +3,41 @@ use crate::{to};
 to!(
     should_transform_define_message,
      r#"
-        import { defineMessage, plural, arg } from '@lingui/macro';
-        const message = defineMessage({
+        import { defineMessage, msg } from '@lingui/macro';
+        const message1 = defineMessage({
+          comment: "Description",
+          message: "Message"
+        })
+        const message2 = msg({
           comment: "Description",
           message: "Message"
         })
      "#,
     r#"
-      const message = {
+      const message1 = {
+        id: "xDAtGP",
+        message: "Message"
+      };
+      const message2 = {
+        id: "xDAtGP",
+        message: "Message"
+      };
+    "#
+);
+
+to!(
+    define_message_should_support_template_literal,
+     r#"
+        import { defineMessage, msg } from '@lingui/macro';
+        const message1 = defineMessage`Message`;
+        const message2 = msg`Message`
+     "#,
+    r#"
+      const message1 = {
+        id: "xDAtGP",
+        message: "Message"
+      };
+       const message2 = {
         id: "xDAtGP",
         message: "Message"
       };
@@ -76,10 +103,11 @@ to!(
 
 to!(
     production,
-   should_kept_only_essential_props,
+    should_kept_only_essential_props,
     r#"
         import { defineMessage } from '@lingui/macro'
-        const msg = defineMessage({
+        const message1 = defineMessage`Message`;
+        const message2 = defineMessage({
             message: `Hello ${name}`,
             id: 'msgId',
             comment: 'description for translators',
@@ -87,11 +115,15 @@ to!(
         })
     "#,
      r#"
-         const msg = {
-          id: "msgId",
-          values: {
-            name: name,
-          },
-         };
+       const message1 = {
+         id: "xDAtGP",
+       };
+
+       const message2 = {
+        id: "msgId",
+        values: {
+          name: name,
+        },
+       };
      "#
 );
diff --git a/src/tests/js_t.rs b/src/tests/js_t.rs
index 4ca8e96..dc22595 100644
--- a/src/tests/js_t.rs
+++ b/src/tests/js_t.rs
@@ -204,22 +204,27 @@ to!(
     js_should_kept_only_essential_props,
     r#"
         import { t } from '@lingui/macro'
-        const msg = t({
+        const msg1 = t`Message`
+        const msg2 = t({
             message: `Hello ${name}`,
             id: 'msgId',
             comment: 'description for translators',
             context: 'My Context',
         })
     "#,
-     r#"
-         import { i18n } from "@lingui/core";
-         const msg = i18n._({
-          id: "msgId",
-          values: {
-            name: name,
-          },
-         });
-     "#
+    r#"
+        import { i18n } from "@lingui/core";
+        const msg1 = i18n._({
+             id: "xDAtGP"
+        });
+
+        const msg2 = i18n._({
+         id: "msgId",
+         values: {
+           name: name,
+         },
+        });
+    "#
 );
 
 to!(