diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 40e4a4fe2..5b26619b9 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -219,13 +219,10 @@ class ExtBabel(Babel):
 
     def get_shorthandoff(self):
         # type: () -> unicode
-        shorthand = self.shorthands.get(self.language)
-        if shorthand:
-            return r'\ifnum\catcode`\%s=\active\shorthandoff{%s}\fi' % (shorthand, shorthand)
-        elif self.language == 'turkish':
-            # memo: if ever Sphinx starts supporting 'Latin', do as for Turkish
-            return r'\ifnum\catcode`\=\string=\active\shorthandoff{=}\fi'
-        return ''
+        return ('\\ifdefined\\shorthandoff\n'
+                '  \\ifnum\\catcode`\\=\\string=\\active\\shorthandoff{=}\\fi\n'
+                '  \\ifnum\\catcode`\\"=\\active\\shorthandoff{"}\\fi\n'
+                '\\fi')
 
     def uses_cyrillic(self):
         # type: () -> bool
@@ -595,6 +592,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
                     self.elements['classoptions'] = ',dvipdfmx'
                     # disable babel which has not publishing quality in Japanese
                     self.elements['babel'] = ''
+                    self.elements['shorthandoff'] = ''
                     self.elements['multilingual'] = ''
                     # disable fncychap in Japanese documents
                     self.elements['fncychap'] = ''
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index 546ba139b..804a6b912 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ def test_babel_with_language_ru(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsrussian{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert (u'\\addto\\extrasrussian{\\def\\pageautorefname'
             u'{\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430}}\n' in result)
-    assert '\\shorthandoff' not in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ def test_babel_with_unknown_language(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsenglish{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsenglish{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\extrasenglish{\\def\\pageautorefname{page}}\n' in result
-    assert '\\shorthandoff' not in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' in result
 
     assert "WARNING: no Babel option known for language 'unknown'" in warning.getvalue()