diff --git a/dev_tools/update_po_files.sh b/dev_tools/update_po_files.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..abcc78ed3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev_tools/update_po_files.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+cd ~/airtime
+
+#generate a new .po file
+#this will generate a file called messages.po
+find . -iname "*.phtml" -o -name "*.php" | xargs xgettext -L php
+
+#merge the new messages from messages.po into each existing .po file
+#this will generate new .po files
+find ./airtime_mvc/locale/ -name "*.po" -exec msgmerge -N -U --no-wrap "{}" messages.po \;
+
+#delete the old .po files
+find ./airtime_mvc/locale/ -name "*.po~" -delete