diff --git a/qt/po/scripts/extract-po-string.py b/qt/po/scripts/extract-po-string.py
index a3b6a322e..93e66ec91 100644
--- a/qt/po/scripts/extract-po-string.py
+++ b/qt/po/scripts/extract-po-string.py
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ from fluent.syntax.ast import Message, TextElement, Identifier, Pattern, Junk
 
 # extract a translated string from strings.json and insert it into ftl
 # eg:
-# $ python extract-po-string.py /path/to/templates/media-check.ftl delete-unused "Delete Unused Media" ""
-# $ python extract-po-string.py /path/to/templates/media-check.ftl delete-unused "%(a)s %(b)s" "%(a)s=$val1,%(b)s=$val2"
+# $ python extract-po-string.py strings.json /path/to/templates/media-check.ftl delete-unused "Delete Unused Media" ""
+# $ python extract-po-string.py strings.json /path/to/templates/media-check.ftl delete-unused "%(a)s %(b)s" "%(a)s=$val1,%(b)s=$val2"
 #
 # NOTE: the English text is written into the templates folder of the repo, so must be copied
 # into Anki's source tree
 
-ftl_filename, key, msgid_substring, repls = sys.argv[1:]
+json_filename, ftl_filename, key, msgid_substring, repls = sys.argv[1:]
 
 # split up replacements
 replacements = []
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ for repl in repls.split(","):
 prefix = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(ftl_filename))[0]
 key = f"{prefix}-{key}"
 
-strings = json.load(open("strings.json", "r"))
+strings = json.load(open(json_filename, "r"))
 
 msgids = []
 if msgid_substring in strings["en"]:
@@ -51,18 +51,21 @@ else:
         print(f"* {c}: {id}")
     msgid = msgids[int(input("number to use? "))]
 
+
 def transform_entry(entry):
     if isinstance(entry, str):
-        return(transform_string(entry))
+        return transform_string(entry)
     else:
         return [transform_string(e) for e in entry]
 
+
 def transform_string(msg):
     for (old, new) in replacements:
         msg = msg.replace(old, f"{{{new}}}")
     # strip leading/trailing whitespace
     return msg.strip()
 
+
 to_insert = []
 for lang in strings.keys():
     entry = strings[lang].get(msgid)
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ def add_simple_message(fname, key, message):
 
     modified = serialize(obj, with_junk=True)
     # escape leading dots
-    modified = re.sub(r"(?ms)^( +)\.", "\\1{\".\"}", modified)
+    modified = re.sub(r"(?ms)^( +)\.", '\\1{"."}', modified)
 
     # ensure the resulting serialized file is valid by parsing again
     obj = parse(modified)