diff --git a/lib/permittable.rb b/lib/permittable.rb
index 745f905..41a9953 100644
--- a/lib/permittable.rb
+++ b/lib/permittable.rb
@@ -1621,7 +1621,11 @@ def authored_nil!(field, opt)
     def validate_message!(field)
       spec = field[:message]
       return if spec.nil?
-      return if spec.is_a?(String)
+
+      if spec.is_a?(String)
+        field[:message] = freeze_authored(spec)
+        return
+      end
 
       valid_hash = spec.is_a?(Hash) && !spec.empty? &&
                    spec.all? { |code, text| (code.is_a?(Symbol) || code.is_a?(String)) && text.is_a?(String) }
@@ -1630,7 +1634,7 @@ def validate_message!(field)
                              "or a Hash of violation code => String (e.g. { missing: \"is required\" })"
       end
 
-      field[:message] = spec.transform_keys(&:to_sym).freeze
+      field[:message] = freeze_authored(spec.transform_keys(&:to_sym))
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/field_group_spec.rb b/spec/field_group_spec.rb
index ceb7111..f1c1071 100644
--- a/spec/field_group_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/field_group_spec.rb
@@ -196,5 +196,19 @@ def controller(klass, params: {}, action: "create")
       permittable_class { permit_params(:create) { use group } }
       expect(Permittable.filter_parameter_registry.include?("ssn")).to be(true)
     end
+
+    it "freezes a shared field's message: so mutating one contract's violation can't corrupt another's" do
+      group = Permittable.fields { required :age, :integer, message: { missing: "age please" } }
+      contract_a = Permittable::Contract.define { use group }
+      contract_b = Permittable::Contract.define { use group }
+
+      msg = contract_a.call({}).violations.first[:message]
+      expect(msg).to eq("age please")
+      expect { msg << " NOW" }.to raise_error(FrozenError)
+
+      msg_b = contract_b.call({}).violations.first[:message]
+      expect(msg_b).to eq("age please")
+      expect(msg_b).to equal(msg) # same shared object — proves it stayed intact, not just re-fetched
+    end
   end
 end