diff --git a/wp-includes/post-template.php b/wp-includes/post-template.php
index a1b44a7e19..af871ebc6d 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post-template.php
@@ -1266,25 +1266,28 @@ class Walker_Page extends Walker {
 	 * @param array $args
 	 */
 	function start_el( &$output, $page, $depth = 0, $args = array(), $current_page = 0 ) {
-		if ( $depth )
-			$indent = str_repeat("\t", $depth);
-		else
+		if ( $depth ) {
+			$indent = str_repeat( "\t", $depth );
+		} else {
 			$indent = '';
+		}
 
-		extract($args, EXTR_SKIP);
-		$css_class = array('page_item', 'page-item-'.$page->ID);
+		$css_class = array( 'page_item', 'page-item-' . $page->ID );
 
-		if( isset( $args['pages_with_children'][ $page->ID ] ) )
+		if ( isset( $args['pages_with_children'][ $page->ID ] ) ) {
 			$css_class[] = 'page_item_has_children';
+		}
 
-		if ( !empty($current_page) ) {
+		if ( ! empty( $current_page ) ) {
 			$_current_page = get_post( $current_page );
-			if ( in_array( $page->ID, $_current_page->ancestors ) )
+			if ( in_array( $page->ID, $_current_page->ancestors ) ) {
 				$css_class[] = 'current_page_ancestor';
-			if ( $page->ID == $current_page )
+			}
+			if ( $page->ID == $current_page ) {
 				$css_class[] = 'current_page_item';
-			elseif ( $_current_page && $page->ID == $_current_page->post_parent )
+			} elseif ( $_current_page && $page->ID == $_current_page->post_parent ) {
 				$css_class[] = 'current_page_parent';
+			}
 		} elseif ( $page->ID == get_option('page_for_posts') ) {
 			$css_class[] = 'current_page_parent';
 		}
@@ -1303,21 +1306,34 @@ class Walker_Page extends Walker {
 		 * @param array   $args         An array of arguments.
 		 * @param int     $current_page ID of the current page.
 		 */
-		$css_class = implode( ' ', apply_filters( 'page_css_class', $css_class, $page, $depth, $args, $current_page ) );
+		$css_classes = implode( ' ', apply_filters( 'page_css_class', $css_class, $page, $depth, $args, $current_page ) );
 
-		if ( '' === $page->post_title )
+		if ( '' === $page->post_title ) {
 			$page->post_title = sprintf( __( '#%d (no title)' ), $page->ID );
+		}
+
+		$args['link_before'] = empty( $args['link_before'] ) ? '' : $args['link_before'];
+		$args['link_after'] = empty( $args['link_after'] ) ? '' : $args['link_after'];
 
 		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/post-template.php */
-		$output .= $indent . '<li class="' . $css_class . '"><a href="' . get_permalink($page->ID) . '">' . $link_before . apply_filters( 'the_title', $page->post_title, $page->ID ) . $link_after . '</a>';
+		$output .= $indent . sprintf(
+			'<li class="%s"><a href="%s">%s%s%s</a>',
+			$css_classes,
+			get_permalink( $page->ID ),
+			$args['link_before'],
+			apply_filters( 'the_title', $page->post_title, $page->ID ),
+			$args['link_after']
+		);
 
-		if ( !empty($show_date) ) {
-			if ( 'modified' == $show_date )
+		if ( ! empty( $args['show_date'] ) ) {
+			if ( 'modified' == $args['show_date'] ) {
 				$time = $page->post_modified;
-			else
+			} else {
 				$time = $page->post_date;
+			}
 
-			$output .= " " . mysql2date($date_format, $time);
+			$date_format = empty( $args['date_format'] ) ? '' : $args['date_format'];
+			$output .= " " . mysql2date( $date_format, $time );
 		}
 	}