diff --git a/tools/mod_translation_updater.py b/tools/mod_translation_updater.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0134996c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/mod_translation_updater.py
@@ -0,0 +1,526 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Script to generate Luanti translation template files and update
+# translation files.
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2019 Joachim Stolberg, 2020 FaceDeer, 2020 Louis Royer,
+#                    2023 Wuzzy.
+# License: LGPLv2.1 or later (see LICENSE file for details)
+
+import os, fnmatch, re, shutil, errno
+from sys import argv as _argv
+from sys import stderr as _stderr
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+# Running params
+params = {"recursive": False,
+	"help": False,
+	"verbose": False,
+	"folders": [],
+	"old-file": False,
+	"break-long-lines": False,
+	"print-source": False,
+	"truncate-unused": False,
+	"dofile-order": False,
+}
+# Available CLI options
+options = {"recursive": ['--recursive', '-r'],
+	"help": ['--help', '-h'],
+	"verbose": ['--verbose', '-v'],
+	"old-file": ['--old-file', '-o'],
+	"break-long-lines": ['--break-long-lines', '-b'],
+	"print-source": ['--print-source', '-p'],
+	"truncate-unused": ['--truncate-unused', '-t'],
+	"dofile-order": ['--dofile-order', '-d']
+}
+
+# Strings longer than this will have extra space added between
+# them in the translation files to make it easier to distinguish their
+# beginnings and endings at a glance
+doublespace_threshold = 80
+
+# These symbols mark comment lines showing the source file name.
+# A comment may look like "##[ init.lua ]##".
+symbol_source_prefix = "##[ "
+symbol_source_suffix = " ]##"
+
+# comment to mark the section of old/unused strings
+comment_unused = "##### not used anymore #####"
+
+def set_params_folders(tab: list):
+	'''Initialize params["folders"] from CLI arguments.'''
+	# Discarding argument 0 (tool name)
+	for param in tab[1:]:
+		stop_param = False
+		for option in options:
+			if param in options[option]:
+				stop_param = True
+				break
+		if not stop_param:
+			params["folders"].append(os.path.abspath(param))
+
+def set_params(tab: list):
+	'''Initialize params from CLI arguments.'''
+	for option in options:
+		for option_name in options[option]:
+			if option_name in tab:
+				params[option] = True
+				break
+
+def print_help(name):
+	'''Prints some help message.'''
+	print(f'''SYNOPSIS
+	{name} [OPTIONS] [PATHS...]
+DESCRIPTION
+	{', '.join(options["help"])}
+		prints this help message
+	{', '.join(options["recursive"])}
+		run on all subfolders of paths given
+	{', '.join(options["old-file"])}
+		create *.old files
+	{', '.join(options["break-long-lines"])}
+		add extra line breaks before and after long strings
+	{', '.join(options["print-source"])}
+		add comments denoting the source file
+	{', '.join(options["verbose"])}
+		add output information
+	{', '.join(options["truncate-unused"])}
+		delete unused strings from files
+	{', '.join(options["dofile-order"])}
+		try to order files by their order from init.lua (not recursive)
+''')
+
+def main():
+	'''Main function'''
+	set_params(_argv)
+	set_params_folders(_argv)
+	if params["help"]:
+		print_help(_argv[0])
+	else:
+		# Add recursivity message
+		print("Running ", end='')
+		if params["recursive"]:
+			print("recursively ", end='')
+		# Running
+		if len(params["folders"]) >= 2:
+			print("on folder list:", params["folders"])
+			for f in params["folders"]:
+				if params["recursive"]:
+					run_all_subfolders(f)
+				else:
+					update_folder(f)
+		elif len(params["folders"]) == 1:
+			print("on folder", params["folders"][0])
+			if params["recursive"]:
+				run_all_subfolders(params["folders"][0])
+			else:
+				update_folder(params["folders"][0])
+		else:
+			print("on folder", os.path.abspath("./"))
+			if params["recursive"]:
+				run_all_subfolders(os.path.abspath("./"))
+			else:
+				update_folder(os.path.abspath("./"))
+
+# Compile pattern for matching lua function call
+def compile_func_call_pattern(argument_pattern):
+	return re.compile(
+		# Look for beginning of file or anything that isn't a function identifier
+		r'(?:^|[\.=,{\(\s])' +
+		# Matches S, FS, NS, or NFS function call
+		r'N?F?S\s*' +
+		# The pattern to match argument
+		argument_pattern,
+		re.DOTALL)
+
+# Add parentheses around a pattern
+def parenthesize_pattern(pattern):
+	return (
+		# Start of argument: open parentheses and space (optional)
+		r'\(\s*' +
+		# The pattern to be parenthesized
+		pattern +
+		# End of argument or function call: space, comma, or close parentheses
+		r'[\s,\)]')
+
+# Quoted string
+# Group 2 will be the string, group 1 and group 3 will be the delimiters (" or ')
+# See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/46967465/regex-match-text-in-either-single-or-double-quote
+pattern_lua_quoted_string = r'(["\'])((?:\\\1|(?:(?!\1)).)*)(\1)'
+
+# Double square bracket string (multiline)
+pattern_lua_square_bracket_string = r'\[\[(.*?)\]\]'
+
+# Handles the " ... " or ' ... ' string delimiters
+pattern_lua_quoted = compile_func_call_pattern(parenthesize_pattern(pattern_lua_quoted_string))
+
+# Handles the [[ ... ]] string delimiters
+pattern_lua_bracketed = compile_func_call_pattern(parenthesize_pattern(pattern_lua_square_bracket_string))
+
+# Handles like pattern_lua_quoted, but for single parameter (without parentheses)
+# See https://www.lua.org/pil/5.html for informations about single argument call
+pattern_lua_quoted_single = compile_func_call_pattern(pattern_lua_quoted_string)
+
+# Same as pattern_lua_quoted_single, but for [[ ... ]] string delimiters
+pattern_lua_bracketed_single = compile_func_call_pattern(pattern_lua_square_bracket_string)
+
+# Handles "concatenation" .. " of strings"
+pattern_concat = re.compile(r'["\'][\s]*\.\.[\s]*["\']', re.DOTALL)
+
+# Handles a translation line in *.tr file.
+# Group 1 is the source string left of the equals sign.
+# Group 2 is the translated string, right of the equals sign.
+pattern_tr = re.compile(
+	r'(.*)' # Source string
+	# the separating equals sign, if NOT preceded by @, unless
+	# that @ is preceded by another @
+	r'(?:(?<!(?<!@)@)=)'
+	r'(.*)' # Translation string
+	)
+pattern_name = re.compile(r'^name[ ]*=[ ]*([^ \n]*)')
+pattern_tr_filename = re.compile(r'\.tr$')
+
+# Matches bad use of @ signs in Lua string
+pattern_bad_luastring = re.compile(
+	r'^@$|'	# single @, OR
+	r'[^@]@$|' # trailing unescaped @, OR
+	r'(?<!@)@(?=[^@1-9n])' # an @ that is not escaped or part of a placeholder
+)
+
+pattern_dofile = re.compile(
+	r'^\s*' # linestart and optional space
+	r'(?:--\s*)?' # optional comment
+	r'dofile\(' # command
+	r'(?:.*?\.\. *)?' # optional expression for path names, ignored - we only support the modpath
+	r'([\"\'])' # quote
+	r'/' # slash (not included in pattern
+	r'(?P<filename>[^\"\']+\.lua)' # filename
+	r'\1' # matching closing quote
+	r'\)\s*(?:--.*)?$' # end of line, optional comment
+	, re.M # multiline flag: ^ and $ are line ends not string ends
+)
+
+# Attempt to read the mod's name from the mod.conf file or folder name. Returns None on failure
+def get_modname(folder):
+	try:
+		with open(os.path.join(folder, "mod.conf"), "r", encoding='utf-8') as mod_conf:
+			for line in mod_conf:
+				match = pattern_name.match(line)
+				if match:
+					return match.group(1)
+	except FileNotFoundError:
+		folder_name = os.path.basename(folder)
+		# Special case when run in Luanti's builtin directory
+		return "__builtin" if folder_name == "builtin" else folder_name
+
+# If there are already .tr files in /locale, returns a list of their names
+def get_existing_tr_files(folder):
+	out = []
+	for root, dirs, files in os.walk(os.path.join(folder, 'locale/')):
+		for name in files:
+			if pattern_tr_filename.search(name):
+				out.append(name)
+	return out
+
+# Converts the template dictionary to a text to be written as a file
+# dGroupedKeyStrings is a dictionary of source file sets to localized strings
+# dOld is a dictionary of existing translations and comments from
+# the previous version of this text
+def strings_to_text(dGroupedKeyStrings, dOld, mod_name, header_comments, textdomain, templ = None):
+	# if textdomain is specified, insert it at the top
+	if textdomain != None:
+		lOut = [textdomain] # argument is full textdomain line
+	# otherwise, use mod name as textdomain automatically
+	else:
+		lOut = [f"# textdomain: {mod_name}"]
+	if templ is not None and templ[2] and (header_comments is None or not header_comments.startswith(templ[2])):
+		# header comments in the template file
+		lOut.append(templ[2])
+	if header_comments is not None:
+		lOut.append(header_comments)
+
+	for source, localizedStrings in dGroupedKeyStrings.items():
+		if params["print-source"] and len(source) > 0:
+			lOut.append(symbol_source_prefix + " ".join(x.replace("r\\","/") for x in source) + symbol_source_suffix)
+		for localizedString in localizedStrings:
+			val = dOld.get(localizedString, {})
+			translation = val.get("translation", "")
+			comment = val.get("comment")
+			templ_comment = None
+			if templ:
+				templ_val = templ[0].get(localizedString, {})
+				templ_comment = templ_val.get("comment")
+			if params["break-long-lines"] and len(localizedString) > doublespace_threshold and not lOut[-1] == "":
+				lOut.append("")
+			if templ_comment != None and templ_comment != "" and (comment is None or comment == "" or not comment.startswith(templ_comment)):
+				lOut.append(templ_comment)
+			if comment != None and comment != "" and not comment.startswith("# textdomain:"):
+				lOut.append(comment)
+			lOut.append(f"{localizedString}={translation}")
+			if params["break-long-lines"] and len(localizedString) > doublespace_threshold:
+				lOut.append("")
+
+	# all strings, to report unused strings
+	dkeyStrings = set(x for y in dGroupedKeyStrings.values() for x in y)
+
+	unusedExist = False
+	if not params["truncate-unused"]:
+		for key in dOld:
+			if key not in dkeyStrings:
+				val = dOld[key]
+				translation = val.get("translation")
+				comment = val.get("comment")
+				# only keep an unused translation if there was translated
+				# text or a comment associated with it
+				if translation != None and (translation != "" or comment):
+					if not unusedExist:
+						unusedExist = True
+						lOut.append("\n\n" + comment_unused + "\n")
+					if params["break-long-lines"] and len(key) > doublespace_threshold and not lOut[-1] == "":
+						lOut.append("")
+					if comment != None:
+						lOut.append(comment)
+					lOut.append(f"{key}={translation}")
+					if params["break-long-lines"] and len(key) > doublespace_threshold:
+						lOut.append("")
+	return "\n".join(lOut) + '\n'
+
+# Gets all translatable strings from a lua file
+def read_lua_file_strings(lua_file):
+	lOut = []
+	with open(lua_file, encoding='utf-8') as text_file:
+		text = text_file.read()
+
+		strings = []
+
+		for s in pattern_lua_quoted_single.findall(text):
+			strings.append(s[1])
+		for s in pattern_lua_bracketed_single.findall(text):
+			strings.append(s)
+
+		# Only concatenate strings after matching
+		# single parameter call (without parantheses)
+		text = re.sub(pattern_concat, "", text)
+
+		for s in pattern_lua_quoted.findall(text):
+			strings.append(s[1])
+		for s in pattern_lua_bracketed.findall(text):
+			strings.append(s)
+
+		for s in strings:
+			found_bad = pattern_bad_luastring.search(s)
+			if found_bad:
+				print("SYNTAX ERROR: Unescaped '@' in Lua string: " + s)
+				continue
+			s = s.replace('\\"', '"')
+			s = s.replace("\\'", "'")
+			s = s.replace("\n", "@n")
+			s = s.replace("\\n", "@n")
+			s = s.replace("=", "@=")
+			lOut.append(s)
+	return lOut
+
+# Gets strings from an existing translation file
+# returns both a dictionary of translations
+# and the full original source text so that the new text
+# can be compared to it for changes.
+# Returns also header comments in the third return value.
+def import_tr_file(tr_file):
+	dOut = {}
+	text = None
+	in_header = True
+	header_comments = None
+	textdomain = None
+	if os.path.exists(tr_file):
+		with open(tr_file, "r", encoding='utf-8') as existing_file :
+			# save the full text to allow for comparison
+			# of the old version with the new output
+			text = existing_file.read()
+			existing_file.seek(0)
+			# a running record of the current comment block
+			# we're inside, to allow preceeding multi-line comments
+			# to be retained for a translation line
+			latest_comment_block = None
+			for line in existing_file.readlines():
+				line = line.rstrip('\n')
+				# "##### not used anymore #####" comment
+				if line == comment_unused:
+					# Always delete the 'not used anymore' comment.
+					# It will be re-added to the file if neccessary.
+					latest_comment_block = None
+					if header_comments != None:
+						in_header = False
+					continue
+				# Comment lines
+				elif line.startswith("#"):
+					# Source file comments: ##[ file.lua ]##
+					if line.startswith(symbol_source_prefix) and line.endswith(symbol_source_suffix):
+						# This line marks the end of header comments.
+						if params["print-source"]:
+							in_header = False
+						# Remove those comments; they may be added back automatically.
+						continue
+
+					# Store first occurance of textdomain
+					# discard all subsequent textdomain lines
+					if line.startswith("# textdomain:"):
+						if textdomain == None:
+							textdomain = line
+						continue
+					elif in_header:
+						# Save header comments (normal comments at top of file)
+						if not header_comments:
+							header_comments = line
+						else:
+							header_comments = header_comments + "\n" + line
+					else:
+						# Save normal comments
+						if line.startswith("# textdomain:") and textdomain == None:
+							textdomain = line
+						elif not latest_comment_block:
+							latest_comment_block = line
+						else:
+							latest_comment_block = latest_comment_block + "\n" + line
+
+					continue
+
+				match = pattern_tr.match(line)
+				if match:
+					# this line is a translated line
+					outval = {}
+					outval["translation"] = match.group(2)
+					if latest_comment_block:
+						# if there was a comment, record that.
+						outval["comment"] = latest_comment_block
+					latest_comment_block = None
+					in_header = False
+
+					dOut[match.group(1)] = outval
+	return (dOut, text, header_comments, textdomain)
+
+# Get the order of filenames included as "dofile"
+# This is very rough, but "good enough" for now
+def read_lua_dofile_order(lua_file):
+	with open(lua_file, encoding='utf-8') as text_file:
+		for s in pattern_dofile.finditer(text_file.read()):
+			yield s.group("filename")
+
+# Walks all lua files in the mod folder, collects translatable strings,
+# and writes it to a template.txt file
+# Returns a dictionary of localized strings to source file lists
+# that can be used with the strings_to_text function.
+def generate_template(folder, mod_name):
+	dOut = defaultdict(set)
+	dofile_order = []
+	for root, _, files in sorted(list(os.walk(folder))):
+		for filename in sorted(files, key=str.lower):
+			if not fnmatch.fnmatch(filename, "*.lua"): continue
+			fullpath_filename = os.path.join(root, filename)
+
+			found = read_lua_file_strings(fullpath_filename)
+			if params["verbose"]:
+				print(f"{fullpath_filename}: {str(len(found))} translatable strings")
+
+			for s in found:
+				dOut[s].add(os.path.relpath(fullpath_filename, start=folder))
+
+			# Note the import sequence in init.lua only:
+			if params["dofile-order"] and root == folder and filename == "init.lua":
+				if len(dofile_order) == 0: dofile_order.append("init.lua")
+				dofile_order.extend(read_lua_dofile_order(fullpath_filename))
+
+	if len(dOut) == 0:
+		return (None, None)
+
+	# group strings by source occurence
+	groupedStrings = defaultdict(list)
+	for d, sources in dOut.items():
+		sources = sorted(list(sources), key=str.lower)
+		if len(dofile_order) > 0 and len(sources) > 1:
+			# first use the known sources in the given order; then the remainder sorted
+			sources = [x for x in dofile_order if x in sources] + [x for x in sources if not x in dofile_order]
+		sources = (sources[0],) # we only care about the first occurence now
+		if len(sources) == 1 and sources[0] == "init.lua": sources = tuple() # omit init.lua
+		groupedStrings[sources].append(d)
+
+	# honor "dofile" order (we use that python 3.6+ dicts are insertion-ordered)
+	if params["dofile-order"] and len(groupedStrings) > 1:
+		# this is not very efficient, but it really does not matter
+		# first init.lua, then in dofile order, then rest alphabetically
+		temp = [(tuple(), groupedStrings[()])]
+		temp.extend((s,v) for x in dofile_order for s,v in groupedStrings.items() if len(s) > 0 and s[0] == x)
+		temp.extend(sorted((s,v) for s,v in groupedStrings.items() if len(s) > 0 and not s[0] in dofile_order))
+		groupedStrings = dict(temp)
+
+	templ_file = os.path.join(folder, "locale/template.txt")
+	if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(templ_file)): os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(templ_file))
+
+	# read existing template file to preserve comments
+	existing_template = import_tr_file(templ_file)
+	text = strings_to_text(groupedStrings, existing_template[0], mod_name, existing_template[2], existing_template[3])
+	with open(templ_file, "wt", encoding='utf-8') as template_file:
+		template_file.write(text)
+
+	new_template = import_tr_file(templ_file) # re-import to get all new data
+	return (groupedStrings, new_template)
+
+# Updates an existing .tr file, copying the old one to a ".old" file
+# if any changes have happened
+# dNew is the data used to generate the template, it has all the
+# currently-existing localized strings
+def update_tr_file(dNew, templ, mod_name, tr_file):
+	if params["verbose"]:
+		print(f"updating {tr_file}")
+
+	tr_import = import_tr_file(tr_file)
+	dOld = tr_import[0]
+	textOld = tr_import[1]
+
+	textNew = strings_to_text(dNew, dOld, mod_name, tr_import[2], tr_import[3], templ)
+
+	if textOld and textOld != textNew:
+		print(f"{tr_file} has changed.")
+		if params["old-file"]:
+			shutil.copyfile(tr_file, f"{tr_file}.old")
+
+	with open(tr_file, "w", encoding='utf-8') as new_tr_file:
+		new_tr_file.write(textNew)
+
+# Updates translation files for the mod in the given folder
+def update_mod(folder):
+	if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "init.lua")):
+		print(f"Mod folder {folder} is missing init.lua, aborting.")
+		exit(1)
+	assert not is_modpack(folder)
+	modname = get_modname(folder)
+	print(f"Updating translations for {modname}")
+	(data, templ) = generate_template(folder, modname)
+	if data == None:
+		print(f"No translatable strings found in {modname}")
+	else:
+		for tr_file in get_existing_tr_files(folder):
+			update_tr_file(data, templ, modname, os.path.join(folder, "locale/", tr_file))
+
+def is_modpack(folder):
+	return os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "modpack.txt")) or os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "modpack.conf"))
+
+def is_game(folder):
+	return os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "game.conf")) and os.path.exists(os.path.join(folder, "mods"))
+
+# Determines if the folder being pointed to is a game, mod or a mod pack
+# and then runs update_mod accordingly
+def update_folder(folder):
+	if is_game(folder):
+		run_all_subfolders(os.path.join(folder, "mods"))
+	elif is_modpack(folder):
+		run_all_subfolders(folder)
+	else:
+		update_mod(folder)
+	print("Done.")
+
+def run_all_subfolders(folder):
+	for modfolder in [f.path for f in os.scandir(folder) if f.is_dir() and not f.name.startswith('.')]:
+		update_folder(modfolder)
+
+main()