diff --git a/locale/gettext.sh b/locale/gettext.sh
index d9c7a314..bc748799 100755
--- a/locale/gettext.sh
+++ b/locale/gettext.sh
@@ -6,15 +6,8 @@
 # Should be run from repo root; ./locale/gettext.sh
 #
 
-PHP="about.php data.php donate.php faq.php index.php sidebar.php help/*php html/*php php/*php"
-JS="openflights.js js/alsearch.js js/apsearch.js js/functions.js js/settings.js js/trip.js"
-OPTS="--omit-header --no-location --no-wrap -j"
-
-for lang in de_DE en_GB en_US es_ES fi_FI fr_FR ja_JP lt_LT nl_NL pl_PL pt_BR sv_SE ru_RU; do
-  PO_PATH=locale/$lang.utf8/LC_MESSAGES
-  echo $lang
-
-  PO_NEW=$PO_PATH/new.po
+buildlocale() {
+  PO_NEW=$1/new.po
   touch $PO_NEW
 
   xgettext $OPTS -o $PO_NEW $PHP
@@ -25,17 +18,22 @@ for lang in de_DE en_GB en_US es_ES fi_FI fr_FR ja_JP lt_LT nl_NL pl_PL pt_BR sv
   PO_MESSAGES=$PO_PATH/messages.po
 
   msgmerge -N $PO_MESSAGES $PO_NEW >$PO_NEWEST
-  grep -v ^#~ $PO_NEWEST >$PO_MESSAGES
+  grep -v "^#~" $PO_NEWEST >$PO_MESSAGES
   rm $PO_NEW $PO_NEWEST
 
   # Make .mo files
   MO_FILE=$PO_PATH/messages.mo
   msgfmt -o $MO_FILE $PO_MESSAGES
+}
+
+PHP="about.php data.php donate.php faq.php index.php sidebar.php help/*php html/*php php/*php"
+JS="openflights.js js/alsearch.js js/apsearch.js js/functions.js js/settings.js js/trip.js"
+OPTS="--omit-header --no-location --no-wrap -j"
+
+for lang in de_DE en_GB en_US es_ES fi_FI fr_FR ja_JP lt_LT nl_NL pl_PL pt_BR sv_SE ru_RU; do
+  echo $lang
+  PO_PATH=locale/$lang.utf8/LC_MESSAGES
+  buildlocale $PO_PATH
 done
 
-touch locale/new.po
-xgettext $OPTS -o locale/template.pot $PHP
-xgettext $OPTS -L C -o locale/template.pot $JS
-msgmerge -N locale/template.pot locale/new.po >locale/newest.po
-grep -v "^#~" locale/newest.po >locale/messages.po
-rm locale/new.po locale/newest.po
+buildlocale locale
\ No newline at end of file