diff --git a/apps/desktopgui/build.xml b/apps/desktopgui/build.xml
index a42633518..5a18942ac 100644
--- a/apps/desktopgui/build.xml
+++ b/apps/desktopgui/build.xml
@@ -120,15 +120,20 @@
     </target>
 
     <target name="poupdate">
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/build.xml b/apps/i2psnark/java/build.xml
index 184740a72..94ef57c1d 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/build.xml
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/build.xml
@@ -168,15 +168,20 @@
 
     <target name="poupdate" depends="builddep, compile">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files.  -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/apps/i2ptunnel/java/build.xml b/apps/i2ptunnel/java/build.xml
index 95f99b014..2a628f5f3 100644
--- a/apps/i2ptunnel/java/build.xml
+++ b/apps/i2ptunnel/java/build.xml
@@ -150,15 +150,20 @@
 
     <target name="poupdate" depends="compile, precompilejsp">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files. -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
@@ -200,15 +205,20 @@
 
     <target name="poupdate-proxy" depends="extractProxyTags">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files. -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-proxy.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-proxy.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-proxy.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/apps/ministreaming/java/build.xml b/apps/ministreaming/java/build.xml
index cbef281b9..5f49e902a 100644
--- a/apps/ministreaming/java/build.xml
+++ b/apps/ministreaming/java/build.xml
@@ -127,15 +127,20 @@
 
     <target name="poupdate" depends="builddep, compile">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files.  -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/build.xml b/apps/routerconsole/java/build.xml
index 7b1c2008f..b0311df34 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/build.xml
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/build.xml
@@ -189,15 +189,20 @@
     <target name="poupdate" depends="precompilejsp">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files.
              We need to supply the bat file for windows, and then change the fail property to true -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
@@ -253,30 +258,40 @@
     </target>
 
     <target name="poupdate-news" depends="extractProxyTags">
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-news.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-news.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-news.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
     </target>
 
     <target name="poupdate-countries" depends="extractProxyTags">
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-countries.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-countries.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages-countries.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/apps/susidns/src/build.xml b/apps/susidns/src/build.xml
index d0c4d6777..1552f2be6 100644
--- a/apps/susidns/src/build.xml
+++ b/apps/susidns/src/build.xml
@@ -164,15 +164,20 @@
 
     <target name="poupdate" depends="compile, precompilejsp">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files.  -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/apps/susimail/build.xml b/apps/susimail/build.xml
index d8f922183..33deda2d7 100644
--- a/apps/susimail/build.xml
+++ b/apps/susimail/build.xml
@@ -143,15 +143,20 @@
 
     <target name="poupdate" depends="builddep, compile">
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files.  -->
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index e4490a08f..5fac09d48 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -705,10 +705,18 @@
 
     <!-- end jbigi targets -->
 
+    <target name="poupdate-source" depends="set-lg2-en, poupdate" />
+
+    <target name="set-lg2-en" >
+        <property name="lg2" value="en" />
+    </target>
+
     <!-- the apps need to compile the jsps to poupdate -->
     <target name="poupdate" depends="buildRouter, buildStreaming, buildSystray, buildJetty, buildDesktopGui, buildJrobin" >
         <echo message="Setting environment variable LG2 to a lang code (eg: de,zh,nl etc)" />
         <echo message=" will restrict language update to the language you specified, leaving other language untact." />
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <ant dir="apps/routerconsole/java/" >
             <target name="poupdate" />
             <target name="poupdate-news" />
diff --git a/installer/resources/checklist.md b/installer/resources/checklist.md
index b0f89195b..285447be2 100644
--- a/installer/resources/checklist.md
+++ b/installer/resources/checklist.md
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 ## One week before
 
 - Announce string freeze on #i2p-dev
-- Update local English po files: `ant poupdate`
-- Revert non-English changes if any
+- Update local English po files: `ant poupdate-source`
+- Review changes in English po files, fix up any necessary tagged strings in Java source
+- Revert English po files with no actual changes (i.e. with line number changes only)
+- Check in remaining English po files (and any files with changed strings)
 - Push to Transifex: `tx push -s`
 - Make announcement on Transifex with checkin deadline
 
diff --git a/installer/resources/locale/build.xml b/installer/resources/locale/build.xml
index 0e839e73a..1dd2fc473 100644
--- a/installer/resources/locale/build.xml
+++ b/installer/resources/locale/build.xml
@@ -18,16 +18,21 @@
     </target>
 
     <target name="poupdate" >
+        <!-- set if unset -->
+        <property name="lg2" value="" />
         <!-- Update the messages_*.po files.  -->
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="unix" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="mac" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>
         <exec executable="sh" osfamily="windows" failifexecutionfails="true" failonerror="true" >
+            <env key="LG2" value="${lg2}" />
             <arg value="./bundle-messages.sh" />
             <arg value="-p" />
         </exec>