diff --git a/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.in b/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.in
index addfd3dee6..579653c64a 100644
--- a/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.in
+++ b/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.in
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 alembic
 argon2_cffi>=20.1.0
+babel>=2.9.1
 cffi>=1.14.2
 
 # This version needs Rust for compilation.
diff --git a/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.txt b/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.txt
index c9d1c9de35..a5a33f816b 100644
--- a/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.txt
+++ b/securedrop/requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.txt
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@ argon2-cffi==20.1.0 \
     --hash=sha256:d8029b2d3e4b4cea770e9e5a0104dd8fa185c1724a0f01528ae4826a6d25f97d \
     --hash=sha256:da7f0445b71db6d3a72462e04f36544b0de871289b0bc8a7cc87c0f5ec7079fa
     # via -r requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.in
-babel==2.5.1 \
-    --hash=sha256:6007daf714d0cd5524bbe436e2d42b3c20e68da66289559341e48d2cd6d25811 \
-    --hash=sha256:f20b2acd44f587988ff185d8949c3e208b4b3d5d20fcab7d91fe481ffa435528
-    # via flask-babel
+babel==2.9.1 \
+    --hash=sha256:ab49e12b91d937cd11f0b67cb259a57ab4ad2b59ac7a3b41d6c06c0ac5b0def9 \
+    --hash=sha256:bc0c176f9f6a994582230df350aa6e05ba2ebe4b3ac317eab29d9be5d2768da0
+    # via
+    #   -r requirements/python3/securedrop-app-code-requirements.in
+    #   flask-babel
 cffi==1.14.2 \
     --hash=sha256:0da50dcbccd7cb7e6c741ab7912b2eff48e85af217d72b57f80ebc616257125e \
     --hash=sha256:12a453e03124069b6896107ee133ae3ab04c624bb10683e1ed1c1663df17c13c \
diff --git a/securedrop/tests/test_i18n_tool.py b/securedrop/tests/test_i18n_tool.py
index a1228692b8..f221fedde3 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
         #
@@ -202,12 +228,12 @@ def test_translate_messages_compile_arg(self, tmpdir):
             join(self.dir, 'i18n/code.py'),
             join(self.dir, 'i18n/template.html'),
         ]
-        old_po_mtime = current_po_mtime
+        current_po_mtime = getmtime(po_file)
         i18n_tool.I18NTool().main(args + [
             '--sources', ",".join(source),
             '--compile',
         ])
-        assert old_po_mtime == getmtime(po_file)
+        assert current_po_mtime == getmtime(po_file)
         with io.open(mo_file, mode='rb') as fobj:
             mo = fobj.read()
             assert b'code hello i18n' in mo
diff --git a/securedrop/tests/test_template_filters.py b/securedrop/tests/test_template_filters.py
index 7c73466fba..ca4a56c87a 100644
--- a/securedrop/tests/test_template_filters.py
+++ b/securedrop/tests/test_template_filters.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def verify_rel_datetime_format(app):
         test_time = datetime.utcnow() - timedelta(hours=2)
         result = template_filters.rel_datetime_format(test_time,
                                                       relative=True)
-        assert "2 heures" in result
+        assert u"2\xa0heures" in result
 
 
 def verify_filesizeformat(app):
@@ -69,18 +69,18 @@ def verify_filesizeformat(app):
 
         c.get('/?l=fr_FR')
         assert session.get('locale') == 'fr_FR'
-        assert "1 octet" == template_filters.filesizeformat(1)
-        assert "2 octets" == template_filters.filesizeformat(2)
+        assert u'1\xa0octet' == template_filters.filesizeformat(1)
+        assert u"2\xa0octets" == template_filters.filesizeformat(2)
         value = 1024 * 3
-        assert "3 ko" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
+        assert u"3\u202fko" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
         value *= 1024
-        assert "3 Mo" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
+        assert u"3\u202fMo" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
         value *= 1024
-        assert "3 Go" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
+        assert u"3\u202fGo" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
         value *= 1024
-        assert "3 To" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
+        assert u"3\u202fTo" == template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
         value *= 1024
-        assert "072 To" in template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
+        assert u"072\u202fTo" in template_filters.filesizeformat(value)
 
 
 # We can't use fixtures because these options are set at app init time, and we