diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py b/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py
index ae91dd6f83..526dde93e8 100755
--- a/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/tests/test_translations.py
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ class TestTranslations(unittest.TestCase):
   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 defined 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")
 
@@ -43,9 +40,6 @@ class TestTranslations(unittest.TestCase):
 
     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 defined file")
-
         # caught by test_missing_translation_files
         if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}.ts")):
           self.skipTest(f"{name} missing translation file")
@@ -59,13 +53,17 @@ class TestTranslations(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_unfinished_translations(self):
     for name, file in self.translation_files.items():
       with self.subTest(name=name, file=file):
-        if not len(file):
-          raise self.skipTest(f"{name} translation has no defined file")
-
         cur_translations = self._read_translation_file(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, file)
         self.assertTrue(b"<translation type=\"unfinished\">" not in cur_translations,
                         f"{file} ({name}) translation file has unfinished translations. Finish translations or mark them as completed in Qt Linguist")
 
+  def test_vanished_translations(self):
+    for name, file in self.translation_files.items():
+      with self.subTest(name=name, file=file):
+        cur_translations = self._read_translation_file(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, file)
+        self.assertTrue(b"<translation type=\"vanished\">" not in cur_translations,
+                        f"{file} ({name}) translation file has obsolete translations. Run selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py --vanish to remove them")
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   unittest.main()
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/translations/create_badges.py b/selfdrive/ui/translations/create_badges.py
index 58b587462f..d9e2d443b9 100755
--- a/selfdrive/ui/translations/create_badges.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/translations/create_badges.py
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
   print("Copy into selfdrive/ui/translations/README.md:\n")
   for name, file in translation_files.items():
-    if not len(file):
-      continue
-
     with open(os.path.join(TRANSLATIONS_DIR, f"{file}.ts"), "r") as tr_f:
       tr_file = tr_f.read()
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py b/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py
index 78c973c86b..3a278b4812 100755
--- a/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/update_translations.py
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ def update_translations(vanish=False, plural_only=None, translations_dir=TRANSLA
     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}.ts")
     args = f"lupdate -recursive {UI_DIR} -ts {tr_file}"
     if vanish: