diff --git a/.github/workflows/selfdrive_tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/selfdrive_tests.yaml
index f5edfe5929..0ff0092b02 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/selfdrive_tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/selfdrive_tests.yaml
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ jobs:
                         $UNIT_TEST tools/lib/tests && \
                         ./selfdrive/ui/tests/create_test_translations.sh && \
                         QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen ./selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations && \
+                        ./selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py && \
                         ./common/tests/test_util && \
                         ./common/tests/test_swaglog && \
                         ./selfdrive/boardd/tests/test_boardd_usbprotocol && \
diff --git a/release/files_common b/release/files_common
index 7e8dbd37a6..acf74e2137 100644
--- a/release/files_common
+++ b/release/files_common
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ release/*
 
 tools/lib/*
 tools/joystick/*
+tools/replay/*.cc
+tools/replay/*.h
 
 selfdrive/__init__.py
 selfdrive/sentry.py
@@ -287,6 +289,7 @@ selfdrive/ui/soundd/*.cc
 selfdrive/ui/soundd/*.h
 selfdrive/ui/soundd/soundd
 selfdrive/ui/soundd/.gitignore
+selfdrive/ui/translations/*
 
 selfdrive/ui/qt/*.cc
 selfdrive/ui/qt/*.h
@@ -295,10 +298,6 @@ selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/*.h
 selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/*.qml
 selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/*.cc
 selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/*.h
-
-tools/replay/*.cc
-tools/replay/*.h
-
 selfdrive/ui/qt/maps/*.cc
 selfdrive/ui/qt/maps/*.h
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py b/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ccea748e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import json
+import os
+import unittest
+
+from selfdrive.ui.update_translations import TRANSLATIONS_DIR, LANGUAGES_FILE, update_translations
+
+
+class TestTranslations(unittest.TestCase):
+  @classmethod
+  def setUpClass(cls):
+    with open(LANGUAGES_FILE, "r") as f:
+      cls.translation_files = json.load(f)
+
+  def test_missing_translation_files(self):
+    for name, file in self.translation_files.items():
+      with self.subTest(name=name, file=file):
+        if not len(file):
+          self.skipTest(f"{name} translation has no file")
+
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}.ts")),
+                        f"{name} has no XML translation file, run selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py")
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}.qm")),
+                        f"{name} has no compiled QM translation file, run selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py --release")
+
+  def test_translations_updated(self):
+    suffix = "_test"
+    update_translations(suffix=suffix)
+
+    for name, file in self.translation_files.items():
+      with self.subTest(name=name, file=file):
+        cur_tr_file = os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}.ts")
+        new_tr_file = os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}{suffix}.ts")
+
+        if not len(file):
+          self.skipTest(f"{name} translation has no file")
+        elif not os.path.exists(cur_tr_file):
+          self.skipTest(f"{name} missing translation file")  # caught by test_missing_translation_files
+
+        with open(cur_tr_file, "r") as f:
+          cur_translations = f.read()
+        with open(new_tr_file, "r") as f:
+          new_translations = f.read()
+
+        self.assertEqual(cur_translations, new_translations,
+                         f"{name} translation file out of date. Run selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py to update the translation files")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  unittest.main()
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/translations/languages.json b/selfdrive/ui/translations/languages.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f2f9400d64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/translations/languages.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "English": ""
+}
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py b/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..5d57fa39d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import argparse
+import os
+import json
+
+from common.basedir import BASEDIR
+
+UI_DIR = os.path.join(BASEDIR, "selfdrive", "ui")
+TRANSLATIONS_DIR = os.path.join(UI_DIR, "translations")
+LANGUAGES_FILE = os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, "languages.json")
+
+
+def update_translations(release=False, suffix=""):
+  with open(LANGUAGES_FILE, "r") as f:
+    translation_files = json.load(f)
+
+  for name, file in translation_files.items():
+    if not len(file):
+      print(f"{name} has no translation file, skipping...")
+      continue
+
+    tr_file = os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}{suffix}.ts")
+    ret = os.system(f"lupdate -recursive {UI_DIR} -ts {tr_file}")
+    assert ret == 0
+
+    if release:
+      ret = os.system(f"lrelease {tr_file}")
+      assert ret == 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Update translation files for UI",
+                                   formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
+  parser.add_argument("--release", action="store_true", help="Create compiled QM translation files used by UI")
+  args = parser.parse_args()
+
+  update_translations(args.release)