diff --git a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
index e9ef77a02..2d73a41b6 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def proto_progress_to_native(progress: pb.Progress) -> Progress:
 
 class RustBackend:
     def __init__(self, col_path: str, media_folder_path: str, media_db_path: str):
-        ftl_folder = os.path.join(anki.lang.locale_folder, "ftl")
+        ftl_folder = os.path.join(anki.lang.locale_folder, "fluent")
         init_msg = pb.BackendInit(
             collection_path=col_path,
             media_folder_path=media_folder_path,
diff --git a/qt/i18n/.gitignore b/qt/i18n/.gitignore
index 86501593b..ce405b957 100644
--- a/qt/i18n/.gitignore
+++ b/qt/i18n/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 .build
 po
+ftl
diff --git a/qt/i18n/check-po-files.py b/qt/i18n/check-po-files.py
index 68f397da6..44ba725c3 100644
--- a/qt/i18n/check-po-files.py
+++ b/qt/i18n/check-po-files.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 
 import os, re, sys
-po_dir = "translations/anki.pot"
+po_dir = "po/desktop"
 
 msg_re = re.compile(r"^(msgid|msgid_plural|msgstr|)(\[[\d]\])? \"(.*)\"$")
 cont_re = re.compile(r"^\"(.*)\"$")
@@ -100,8 +100,11 @@ def fix_po(path):
     return len(problems)
 
 problems = 0
-for po in os.listdir(po_dir):
-    path = os.path.join(po_dir, po)
+for fname in os.listdir(po_dir):
+    path = os.path.join(po_dir, fname)
+    if not os.path.isdir(path):
+        continue
+    path = os.path.join(path, "anki.po")
     problems += fix_po(path)
 
 if problems:
diff --git a/qt/i18n/copy-ftl-files b/qt/i18n/copy-ftl-files
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..448ee784a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qt/i18n/copy-ftl-files
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+targetDir=../aqt_data/locale/fluent
+test -d $targetDir || mkdir -p $targetDir
+rsync -a --delete --exclude=templates ftl/core/* $targetDir/
diff --git a/qt/i18n/pull-git b/qt/i18n/pull-git
index 7e74bf79c..adc5ae027 100755
--- a/qt/i18n/pull-git
+++ b/qt/i18n/pull-git
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ if [ ! -d po ]; then
   git clone https://github.com/ankitects/anki-desktop-i18n po
 fi
 
+if [ ! -d ftl ]; then
+  git clone https://github.com/ankitects/anki-core-i18n ftl
+fi
+
 echo "Updating translations from git..."
 (cd po && git pull)
+(cd ftl && git pull)
 
+# make sure gettext translations haven't broken something
+python check-po-files.py
diff --git a/qt/i18n/sync-git b/qt/i18n/sync-git
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..6f54e45af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qt/i18n/sync-git
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# pull any pending changes from git repos
+./pull-git
+
+# upload changes to .pot
+./update-po-template
+(cd po && git commit -m update; git push)
+
+# upload changes to ftl templates
+./update-ftl-templates
+(cd ftl && git add core; git commit -m update; git push)
diff --git a/qt/i18n/update-ftl-templates b/qt/i18n/update-ftl-templates
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..541033a91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qt/i18n/update-ftl-templates
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+rsync -a --delete ../../rslib/src/i18n/*.ftl ftl/core/templates/
diff --git a/qt/i18n/update-pot b/qt/i18n/update-po-template
similarity index 100%
rename from qt/i18n/update-pot
rename to qt/i18n/update-po-template
diff --git a/rslib/src/i18n/sync.ftl b/rslib/src/i18n/sync.ftl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..df3de8703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rslib/src/i18n/sync.ftl
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+media-added-count = Added: {$up}↑ {$down}↓
+media-removed-count = Removed: {$up}↑ {$down}↓
+media-checked-count = Checked: {$count}