diff --git a/common/djangoapps/external_auth/views.py b/common/djangoapps/external_auth/views.py
index 3a49a9e720..795741a6bd 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/external_auth/views.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/external_auth/views.py
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ def shib_login(request):
         http://www.incommonfederation.org/attributesummary.html#eduPersonPrincipal
         but the configuration is in the shibboleth software.
     """
-    shib_error_msg = _(dedent(
+    shib_error_msg = dedent(_(
         """
         Your university identity server did not return your ID information to us.
         Please try logging in again.  (You may need to restart your browser.)
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/api.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/api.py
index b3d703ec12..cc18bb51df 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/api.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/api.py
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ def validate_user_preference_serializer(serializer, preference_key, preference_v
         PreferenceValidationError: the supplied key and/or value for a user preference are invalid.
     """
     if preference_value is None or unicode(preference_value).strip() == '':
+        # pylint: disable=translation-of-non-string
         format_string = ugettext_noop(u"Preference '{preference_key}' cannot be set to an empty value.")
         raise PreferenceValidationError({
             preference_key: {