diff --git a/app/helpers/watchers_helper.rb b/app/helpers/watchers_helper.rb
index 10d5a66ce..5b3b1b7b4 100644
--- a/app/helpers/watchers_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/watchers_helper.rb
@@ -20,19 +20,20 @@
 module WatchersHelper
 
   def watcher_tag(object, user, options={})
-    content_tag("span", watcher_link(object, user), :class => watcher_css(object))
+    ActiveSupport::Deprecation.warn "#watcher_tag is deprecated and will be removed in Redmine 3.0. Use #watcher_link instead."
+    watcher_link(object, user)
   end
 
   def watcher_link(object, user)
     return '' unless user && user.logged? && object.respond_to?('watched_by?')
     watched = object.watched_by?(user)
+    css = [watcher_css(object), watched ? 'icon icon-fav' : 'icon icon-fav-off'].join(' ')
     url = {:controller => 'watchers',
            :action => (watched ? 'unwatch' : 'watch'),
            :object_type => object.class.to_s.underscore,
            :object_id => object.id}
     link_to((watched ? l(:button_unwatch) : l(:button_watch)), url,
-            :remote => true, :method => 'post', :class => (watched ? 'icon icon-fav' : 'icon icon-fav-off'))
-
+            :remote => true, :method => 'post', :class => css)
   end
 
   # Returns the css class used to identify watch links for a given +object+
diff --git a/app/views/boards/show.html.erb b/app/views/boards/show.html.erb
index 1a006a6ad..f5e9b1295 100644
--- a/app/views/boards/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/boards/show.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
             new_board_message_path(@board),
             :class => 'icon icon-add',
             :onclick => 'showAndScrollTo("add-message", "message_subject"); return false;' if User.current.allowed_to?(:add_messages, @board.project) %>
-<%= watcher_tag(@board, User.current) %>
+<%= watcher_link(@board, User.current) %>
 </div>
 
 <div id="add-message" style="display:none;">
diff --git a/app/views/issues/_action_menu.html.erb b/app/views/issues/_action_menu.html.erb
index aade33970..4757ebcba 100644
--- a/app/views/issues/_action_menu.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/issues/_action_menu.html.erb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <div class="contextual">
 <%= link_to l(:button_update), edit_issue_path(@issue), :onclick => 'showAndScrollTo("update", "issue_notes"); return false;', :class => 'icon icon-edit', :accesskey => accesskey(:edit) if @issue.editable? %>
 <%= link_to l(:button_log_time), new_issue_time_entry_path(@issue), :class => 'icon icon-time-add' if User.current.allowed_to?(:log_time, @project) %>
-<%= watcher_tag(@issue, User.current) %>
+<%= watcher_link(@issue, User.current) %>
 <%= link_to l(:button_copy), project_copy_issue_path(@project, @issue), :class => 'icon icon-copy' if User.current.allowed_to?(:add_issues, @project) %>
 <%= link_to l(:button_delete), issue_path(@issue), :data => {:confirm => issues_destroy_confirmation_message(@issue)}, :method => :delete, :class => 'icon icon-del' if User.current.allowed_to?(:delete_issues, @project) %>
 </div>
diff --git a/app/views/messages/show.html.erb b/app/views/messages/show.html.erb
index db9a2c8af..37c072c3c 100644
--- a/app/views/messages/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/messages/show.html.erb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <%= board_breadcrumb(@message) %>
 
 <div class="contextual">
-    <%= watcher_tag(@topic, User.current) %>
+    <%= watcher_link(@topic, User.current) %>
     <%= link_to(
           l(:button_quote),
           {:action => 'quote', :id => @topic},
diff --git a/app/views/news/show.html.erb b/app/views/news/show.html.erb
index d4c0bae3e..d359e90b9 100644
--- a/app/views/news/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/news/show.html.erb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class="contextual">
-<%= watcher_tag(@news, User.current) %>
+<%= watcher_link(@news, User.current) %>
 <%= link_to(l(:button_edit),
       edit_news_path(@news),
       :class => 'icon icon-edit',
diff --git a/app/views/watchers/_set_watcher.js.erb b/app/views/watchers/_set_watcher.js.erb
index 6283a3805..e5cdc4f3e 100644
--- a/app/views/watchers/_set_watcher.js.erb
+++ b/app/views/watchers/_set_watcher.js.erb
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 <% selector = ".#{watcher_css(watched)}" %>
-$("<%= selector %>").each(function(){$(this).html("<%= escape_javascript watcher_link(watched, user) %>")});
+$("<%= selector %>").each(function(){$(this).replaceWith("<%= escape_javascript watcher_link(watched, user) %>")});
diff --git a/app/views/wiki/date_index.html.erb b/app/views/wiki/date_index.html.erb
index 4bc31dcd7..a543ef229 100644
--- a/app/views/wiki/date_index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/wiki/date_index.html.erb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class="contextual">
-<%= watcher_tag(@wiki, User.current) %>
+<%= watcher_link(@wiki, User.current) %>
 </div>
 
 <h2><%= l(:label_index_by_date) %></h2>
diff --git a/app/views/wiki/index.html.erb b/app/views/wiki/index.html.erb
index 79cea66dd..333cc8531 100644
--- a/app/views/wiki/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/wiki/index.html.erb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class="contextual">
-<%= watcher_tag(@wiki, User.current) %>
+<%= watcher_link(@wiki, User.current) %>
 </div>
 
 <h2><%= l(:label_index_by_title) %></h2>
diff --git a/app/views/wiki/show.html.erb b/app/views/wiki/show.html.erb
index dfb4add7c..b4386b754 100644
--- a/app/views/wiki/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/wiki/show.html.erb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <% if @editable %>
 <% if @content.current_version? %>
   <%= link_to_if_authorized(l(:button_edit), {:action => 'edit', :id => @page.title}, :class => 'icon icon-edit', :accesskey => accesskey(:edit)) %>
-  <%= watcher_tag(@page, User.current) %>
+  <%= watcher_link(@page, User.current) %>
   <%= link_to_if_authorized(l(:button_lock), {:action => 'protect', :id => @page.title, :protected => 1}, :method => :post, :class => 'icon icon-lock') if !@page.protected? %>
   <%= link_to_if_authorized(l(:button_unlock), {:action => 'protect', :id => @page.title, :protected => 0}, :method => :post, :class => 'icon icon-unlock') if @page.protected? %>
   <%= link_to_if_authorized(l(:button_rename), {:action => 'rename', :id => @page.title}, :class => 'icon icon-move') %>