diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 82838c70..d7162a44 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+*.mo
 *.pyc
 *.swp
 *.sqlite3
diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
index b3e5b9a8..d7ab894d 100755
--- a/run_tests.sh
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ function usage {
   echo "                           environment. Useful when dependencies have"
   echo "                           been added."
   echo "  -m, --manage             Run a Django management command."
-  echo "  --makemessages           Update all translation files."
+  echo "  --makemessages           Create/Update English translation files."
   echo "  --compilemessages        Compile all translation files."
+  echo "  --check-only             Do not update translation files (--makemessages only)."
   echo "  -p, --pep8               Just run pep8"
   echo "  -t, --tabs               Check for tab characters in files."
   echo "  -y, --pylint             Just run pylint"
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ testargs=""
 with_coverage=0
 makemessages=0
 compilemessages=0
+check_only=0
 manage=0
 
 COVERAGE_CMD="python -m coverage.__main__"
@@ -104,6 +106,7 @@ function process_option {
     -m|--manage) manage=1;;
     --makemessages) makemessages=1;;
     --compilemessages) compilemessages=1;;
+    --check-only) check_only=1;;
     --only-selenium) only_selenium=1;;
     --with-selenium) with_selenium=1;;
     --docs) just_docs=1;;
@@ -337,28 +340,40 @@ function run_tests_all {
   exit $(($MONASCA_UI_RESULT))
 }
 
+function babel_extract {
+  DOMAIN=$1
+  KEYWORDS="-k gettext_noop -k gettext_lazy -k ngettext_lazy:1,2"
+  KEYWORDS+=" -k ugettext_noop -k ugettext_lazy -k ungettext_lazy:1,2"
+  KEYWORDS+=" -k npgettext:1c,2,3 -k pgettext_lazy:1c,2 -k npgettext_lazy:1c,2,3"
+
+  ${command_wrapper} pybabel extract -F ../babel-${DOMAIN}.cfg -o locale/${DOMAIN}.pot $KEYWORDS .
+}
+
 function run_makemessages {
-  cd horizon
-  ${command_wrapper} $root/manage.py makemessages --all --no-obsolete
-  HORIZON_PY_RESULT=$?
-  ${command_wrapper} $root/manage.py makemessages -d djangojs --all --no-obsolete
-  HORIZON_JS_RESULT=$?
-  cd ../openstack_dashboard
-  ${command_wrapper} $root/manage.py makemessages --all --no-obsolete
-  DASHBOARD_RESULT=$?
+
+  echo -n "monitoring: "
+  cd monitoring
+  babel_extract django
+  MONITORING_PY_RESULT=$?
+
+  echo -n "monitoring javascript: "
+  babel_extract djangojs
+  MONITORING_JS_RESULT=$?
+
   cd ..
-  exit $(($HORIZON_PY_RESULT || $HORIZON_JS_RESULT || $DASHBOARD_RESULT))
+  if [ $check_only -eq 1 ]; then
+    git checkout -- monitoring/locale/django*.pot
+  fi
+
+  exit $(($MONITORING_PY_RESULT || $MONITORING_JS_RESULT))
 }
 
 function run_compilemessages {
-  cd horizon
+  cd monitoring
   ${command_wrapper} $root/manage.py compilemessages
-  HORIZON_PY_RESULT=$?
-  cd ../openstack_dashboard
-  ${command_wrapper} $root/manage.py compilemessages
-  DASHBOARD_RESULT=$?
+  MONITORING_RESULT=$?
   cd ..
-  exit $(($HORIZON_PY_RESULT || $DASHBOARD_RESULT))
+  exit $MONITORING_RESULT
 }