diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index a2713d0d..e2c56c9d 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -466,8 +466,8 @@ endfunction
 
 "load the chosen checker for the current filetype - useful for filetypes like
 "javascript that have more than one syntax checker
-function! s:LoadChecker(checker)
-    exec "runtime syntax_checkers/" . &ft . "/" . a:checker . ".vim"
+function! s:LoadChecker(checker, ft)
+    exec "runtime syntax_checkers/" . a:ft . "/" . a:checker . ".vim"
 endfunction
 
 "return a string representing the state of buffer according to
@@ -602,22 +602,24 @@ endfunction
 "well as the names of the actual syntax checker executables. The checkers
 "should be listed in order of default preference.
 "
-"if a option called 'g:syntastic_[filetype]_checker' exists then attempt to
+"a:ft should be the filetype for the checkers being loaded
+"
+"if a option called 'g:syntastic_{a:ft}_checker' exists then attempt to
 "load the checker that it points to
-function! SyntasticLoadChecker(checkers)
-    let opt_name = "g:syntastic_" . &ft . "_checker"
+function! SyntasticLoadChecker(checkers, ft)
+    let opt_name = "g:syntastic_" . a:ft . "_checker"
 
     if exists(opt_name)
         let opt_val = {opt_name}
         if index(a:checkers, opt_val) != -1 && executable(opt_val)
-            call s:LoadChecker(opt_val)
+            call s:LoadChecker(opt_val, a:ft)
         else
             echoerr &ft . " syntax not supported or not installed."
         endif
     else
         for checker in a:checkers
             if executable(checker)
-                return s:LoadChecker(checker)
+                return s:LoadChecker(checker, a:ft)
             endif
         endfor
     endif
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/go.vim b/syntax_checkers/go.vim
index 395ae11b..6d78b480 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/go.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/go.vim
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ endif
 let loaded_go_syntax_checker = 1
 
 let s:supported_checkers = ["6g", "gofmt"]
-call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers)
+call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers, 'go')
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/javascript.vim b/syntax_checkers/javascript.vim
index 026c7371..3d5236c4 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/javascript.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/javascript.vim
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ endif
 let loaded_javascript_syntax_checker = 1
 
 let s:supported_checkers = ["gjslint", "jslint", "jsl", "jshint"]
-call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers)
+call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers, 'javascript')
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/json.vim b/syntax_checkers/json.vim
index 2d2652db..1c2b3c99 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/json.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/json.vim
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ endif
 let loaded_json_syntax_checker = 1
 
 let s:supported_checkers = ["jsonlint", "jsonval"]
-call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers)
+call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers, 'json')
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/python.vim b/syntax_checkers/python.vim
index 93a0b529..863e0642 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/python.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/python.vim
@@ -24,4 +24,4 @@ if !exists('g:syntastic_python_checker_args')
 endif
 
 let s:supported_checkers = ["flake8", "pyflakes", "pylint"]
-call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers)
+call SyntasticLoadChecker(s:supported_checkers, 'python')