diff --git a/build_pos b/build_pos
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..c54221f23e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_pos
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env php
+<?php
+
+// Generate translation templates from source code.
+// Compare them with the current versions in trunk;
+// if they differ, send email telling us to validate and commit
+// the new versions.
+
+$emails = "davea@ssl.berkeley.edu";
+$tdir = "locale/templates";
+
+system("cd doc; build_po.php");
+system("tools/compare_pot doc/BOINC-Web.pot $tdir/BOINC-Web.pot $emails");
+
+system("cd html/user; build_po_boinc.php");
+system("tools/compare_pot html/ops/BOINC-Project-Generic.pot $tdir/BOINC-Project-Generic.pot $emails");
+
+system("cd client; build_po");
+system("tools/compare_pot client/BOINC-Client.pot $tdir/BOINC-Client.pot $emails");
+
+system("cd clientgui; build_po");
+system("tools/compare_pot clientgui/BOINC-Manager.pot $tdir/BOINC-Manager.pot $emails");
+
+system("cd mac_installer; build_po");
+system("tools/compare_pot mac_installer/BOINC-Setup.pot $tdir/BOINC-Setup.pot $emails");
+
+system("cd android; a2po export -v");
+system("tools/compare_pot android/BOINC-Android.pot $tdir/BOINC-Android.pot $emails");
+
+?>
diff --git a/clientgui/build_po b/clientgui/build_po
index a7d213b79c..47362864aa 100755
--- a/clientgui/build_po
+++ b/clientgui/build_po
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 
-xgettext --keyword=_ -C -o ../locale/templates/BOINC-Manager.pot *.cpp msw/*.cpp mac/*.cpp gtk/*.cpp
- 
\ No newline at end of file
+xgettext --from-code=UTF-8 --keyword=_ -C -o BOINC-Manager.pot *.cpp msw/*.cpp mac/*.cpp gtk/*.cpp
+ 
+../tools/compare_pot BOINC-Manager.pot ../locale/templates/BOINC-Manager.pot davea@ssl.berkeley.edu
diff --git a/html/ops/build_po_boinc.php b/html/ops/build_po_boinc.php
index e9ad2c870f..25da5b5604 100755
--- a/html/ops/build_po_boinc.php
+++ b/html/ops/build_po_boinc.php
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ msgstr ""
 
 HDR;
 
-$out = fopen("en.po", "w");
+$out = fopen("BOINC-Project-Generic.pot", "w");
 
 fwrite($out, $header);
 
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ stream_copy_to_stream($pipe, $out);
 fclose($pipe);
 fclose($out);
 
-system("mv en.po ../../locale/templates/BOINC-Project-Generic.pot\n");
-
 echo "Done\n";
 
 ?>
diff --git a/tools/compare_pot b/tools/compare_pot
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2bd1c7006f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/compare_pot
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env php
+<?php
+
+// compare_pot file1 file2 [--email email_addr ...]
+//
+// compare two .pot files, ignoring comments.
+// If they differ, send email to the given addresses
+
+function strip_comments($x) {
+    $y = "";
+    foreach ($x as $l) {
+        if (substr($l, 0, 1) != '#') $y .= $l;
+    }
+    return $y;
+}
+
+function pot_same($f1, $f2) {
+    $c1 = strip_comments(file($f1));
+    $c2 = strip_comments(file($f2));
+    return ($c1 == $c2);
+}
+
+if ($argc < 3) die("Usage\n");
+if (pot_same($argv[1], $argv[2])) {
+    echo "files match\n";
+} else {
+    echo "files don't match\n";
+    for ($i=3; $i<$argc; $i++) {
+        mail($argv[$i],
+            $argv[1]." updated",
+            $argv[1]." was updated.  Please review, copy to boinc/locale/templates, and commit"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+?>