diff --git a/securedrop/tests/test_i18n_tool.py b/securedrop/tests/test_i18n_tool.py
index a1228692b87..29a0677d96c 100644
--- a/securedrop/tests/test_i18n_tool.py
+++ b/securedrop/tests/test_i18n_tool.py
@@ -14,6 +14,24 @@
 from sh import sed, msginit, pybabel, git, touch
 
 
+def dummy_translate(po):
+    buf = None
+    with io.open(po, "r") as in_file:
+        buf = in_file.readlines()
+
+    with io.open(po, "w") as out_file:
+        for line in buf:
+            if line.startswith("msgid "):
+                out_file.write(line)
+                idstr = line.split("msgid ", 1)
+                out_file.write("msgstr {}".format(idstr[1]))
+
+            elif line.startswith("msgstr "):
+                pass
+            else:
+                out_file.write(line)
+
+
 class TestI18NTool(object):
 
     def setup(self):
@@ -145,6 +163,10 @@ def test_translate_messages_l10n(self, tmpdir):
         locale = 'en_US'
         locale_dir = join(str(tmpdir), locale)
         pybabel('init', '-i', messages_file, '-d', str(tmpdir), '-l', locale)
+
+        po_file = join(locale_dir, 'LC_MESSAGES/messages.po')
+        dummy_translate(po_file)
+
         mo_file = join(locale_dir, 'LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo')
         assert not exists(mo_file)
         i18n_tool.I18NTool().main(args)
@@ -195,6 +217,10 @@ def test_translate_messages_compile_arg(self, tmpdir):
         current_po_mtime = getmtime(po_file)
         assert old_po_mtime < current_po_mtime
 
+        #
+        # Translation would occur here - let's fake it
+        dummy_translate(po_file)
+
         #
         # Compile but do not extract+update
         #
@@ -207,7 +233,7 @@ def test_translate_messages_compile_arg(self, tmpdir):
             '--sources', ",".join(source),
             '--compile',
         ])
-        assert old_po_mtime == getmtime(po_file)
+        assert old_po_mtime < getmtime(po_file)
         with io.open(mo_file, mode='rb') as fobj:
             mo = fobj.read()
             assert b'code hello i18n' in mo