diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8fb170c30f..e7b0b16be8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -31,3 +31,13 @@ cover_html/
 chromedriver.log
 /nbproject
 ghostdriver.log
+/cms/doc/en/getting_started/
+/conf/locale/en
+/conf/locale/fr
+create-dev-env.hack.sh
+distribute-0.6.36.tar.gz
+i18n/googleTranslate.hack.py
+i18n/mitx/conf/locale/fr/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
+i18n/split.py
+.gitignore
+
diff --git a/conf/locale/babel.cfg b/conf/locale/babel.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b8333cf1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/locale/babel.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Extraction from Python source files
+#[python: cms/**.py]
+#[python: lms/**.py]
+#[python: common/**.py]
+
+# Extraction from Javscript source files
+#[javascript: cms/**.js]
+#[javascript: lms/**.js]
+#[javascript: common/static/js/capa/**.js]
+#[javascript: common/static/js/course_groups/**.js]
+# do not extract from common/static/js/vendor/**
+
+# Extraction from Mako templates
+[mako: cms/templates/**.html]
+input_encoding = utf-8
+[mako: lms/templates/**.html]
+input_encoding = utf-8
+[mako: common/templates/**.html]
+input_encoding = utf-8
diff --git a/conf/locale/config b/conf/locale/config
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fe811ee02e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/locale/config
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"locales" : ["en", "fr", "de"]}