diff --git a/install/configure.ac b/install/configure.ac
index 827ddbab4..9e781a684 100644
--- a/install/configure.ac
+++ b/install/configure.ac
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ if test "x$MSGCMP" = "xno"; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([msgcmp not found, install gettext])
 fi
 
+AC_PATH_PROG(MSGATTRIB, msgattrib, [no])
+if test "x$MSGATTRIB" = "xno"; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([msgattrib not found, install gettext])
+fi
+
 AC_PATH_PROG(TX, tx, [/usr/bin/tx])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([gettext_domain],
diff --git a/install/po/Makefile.in b/install/po/Makefile.in
index 9a3dde78a..bc91a933b 100644
--- a/install/po/Makefile.in
+++ b/install/po/Makefile.in
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ MSGFMT = @MSGFMT@
 MSGINIT = @MSGINIT@
 MSGMERGE = @MSGMERGE@
 MSGCMP = @MSGCMP@
+MSGATTRIB = @MSGATTRIB@
 TX = @TX@
 IPA_TEST_I18N = ../../tests/i18n.py
 
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ C_POTFILES = $(C_FILES) $(H_FILES)
 
 .SUFFIXES:
 .SUFFIXES: .po .mo
-.PHONY: all create-po update-po update-pot install mostlyclean clean distclean test mo-files debug
+.PHONY: all create-po update-po update-pot install mostlyclean clean distclean test mo-files debug strip-po merge-po $(po_files)
 
 all:
 
@@ -86,6 +87,19 @@ $(po_files): $(DOMAIN).pot
 	echo Merging $(DOMAIN).pot into $@; \
 	$(MSGMERGE) --no-fuzzy-matching -o $@ $@ $(DOMAIN).pot
 
+strip-po:
+	@for po_file in $(po_files); do \
+		echo Stripping $$po_file; \
+		$(MSGATTRIB) --translated --no-fuzzy --no-location $$po_file > $$po_file.tmp; \
+		mv $$po_file.tmp $$po_file; \
+	done
+	@export FILES_TO_REMOVE=`find . -name '*.po' -empty`; \
+	if [ "$$FILES_TO_REMOVE" != "" ]; then \
+		echo Removing empty translation files; \
+		rm -v $$FILES_TO_REMOVE; \
+		echo; echo Please remove the deleted files from LINGUAS!; echo; \
+	fi
+
 create-po: $(DOMAIN).pot
 	@for po_file in $(po_files); do \
 	    if [ ! -e $$po_file ]; then \
@@ -98,10 +112,14 @@ create-po: $(DOMAIN).pot
 
 pull-po:
 	cd ../..; $(TX) pull -f
+	$(MAKE) strip-po
 
-update-po: update-pot
+merge-po: update-pot
 	$(MAKE) $(po_files)
 
+update-po: merge-po
+	$(MAKE) strip-po
+
 update-pot:
 	@rm -f $(DOMAIN).pot.update
 	@pushd ../.. ; \
diff --git a/install/po/README b/install/po/README
index ada7df40e..6894a0633 100644
--- a/install/po/README
+++ b/install/po/README
@@ -6,10 +6,17 @@ A: Edit Makefile.in and add the source file to the appropriate *_POTFILES list.
    NOTE: Now this i only necessary for python files that lack the .py
          extension. All .py, .c and .h files are automatically sourced.
 
+Q: Untranslated strings and file locations are missing from my .po file.
+   How do I add them?
+
+A: make merge-po
+   Untranslated strings are left out of the files in SCM. The merge-po command
+   runs msgmerge to add them again.
+
 Q: How do I pick up new strings to translate from the source files after the
    source have been modified?
 
-A: make update-po
+A: make merge-po
    This regenerates the pot template file by scanning all the source files.
    Then the new strings are merged into each .po file from the new pot file.
 
@@ -18,6 +25,11 @@ Q: How do I just regenerate the pot template file without regenerating all the
 
 A: make update-pot
 
+Q: I am done translating. How do I commit my changes?
+
+A: Run `make strip-po` to remove unneeded information from the po files, then
+   add your changes to SCM.
+
 Q: How do I add a new language for translation?
 
 A: Edit the LINGUAS file and add the new language. Then run "make create-po".
@@ -27,7 +39,7 @@ A: Edit the LINGUAS file and add the new language. Then run "make create-po".
    http://www.gnu.org/software/hello/manual/gettext/Plural-forms.html
    However, if this line is wrong, it is often an indicator that the locale
    value is incorrect.  For example, using 'jp' for Japanese in stead of 'ja'
-   will result in an invailid Plural's line.
+   will result in an invalid Plurals line.
 
 Q: What files must be under source code control?
 
diff --git a/tests/i18n.py b/tests/i18n.py
index 703dc8bbb..9c8479bb0 100755
--- a/tests/i18n.py
+++ b/tests/i18n.py
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ def validate_positional_substitutions(s, prog_langs, s_name='string'):
 
     return errors
 
-def validate_file(file_path, validation_mode):
+def validate_file(file_path, validation_mode, reference_pot=None):
     '''
     Given a pot or po file scan all it's entries looking for problems
     with variable substitutions. See the following functions for
@@ -378,6 +378,9 @@ def validate_file(file_path, validation_mode):
     * validate_positional_substitutions()
 
     Returns the number of entries with errors.
+
+    For po files, ``reference_pot`` gives a pot file to merge with (to recover
+    comments and file locations)
     '''
 
     def emit_messages():
@@ -419,6 +422,9 @@ def validate_file(file_path, validation_mode):
         emit_messages()
         return Result(n_entries=n_entries, n_msgids=n_msgids, n_msgstrs=n_msgstrs, n_warnings=n_warnings, n_errors=n_errors)
 
+    if validation_mode == 'po' and reference_pot:
+        # Merge the .pot file for comments and file locations
+        po.merge(reference_pot)
 
     if validation_mode == 'po':
         plural_forms = po.metadata.get('Plural-Forms')
@@ -754,12 +760,14 @@ def main():
             if not files:
                 files = [options.pot_file]
             validation_mode = 'pot'
+            reference_pot = None
         elif options.mode == 'validate_po':
             files = args
             if not files:
                 print >> sys.stderr, 'ERROR: no po files specified'
                 return 1
             validation_mode = 'po'
+            reference_pot = polib.pofile(options.pot_file)
         else:
             print >> sys.stderr, 'ERROR: unknown validation mode "%s"' % (options.mode)
             return 1
@@ -771,7 +779,7 @@ def main():
         total_errors = 0
 
         for f in files:
-            result = validate_file(f, validation_mode)
+            result = validate_file(f, validation_mode, reference_pot)
             total_entries += result.n_entries
             total_msgids += result.n_msgids
             total_msgstrs += result.n_msgstrs