diff --git a/scripts/copy-res.js b/scripts/copy-res.js
index 4736d401d3..9672a98ce7 100755
--- a/scripts/copy-res.js
+++ b/scripts/copy-res.js
@@ -3,6 +3,23 @@
 // copies the resources into the webapp directory.
 //
 
+// Languages are listed manually so we can choose when to include
+// a translation in the app (because having a translation with only
+// 3 strings translated is just frustrating)
+// This could readily be automated, but it's nice to explicitly
+// control when we languages are available.
+const INCLUDE_LANGS = [
+    //'be' Omitted because no translations in react-sdk
+    'en_EN',
+    'da',
+    'de_DE',
+    'fr',
+    'be',
+    'pt',
+    'pt_BR',
+    'ru',
+];
+
 // cpx includes globbed parts of the filename in the destination, but excludes
 // common parents. Hence, "res/{a,b}/**": the output will be "dest/a/..." and
 // "dest/b/...".
@@ -14,32 +31,20 @@ const COPY_LIST = [
     ["node_modules/emojione/assets/svg/*", "webapp/emojione/svg/"],
     ["node_modules/emojione/assets/png/*", "webapp/emojione/png/"],
     ["./config.json", "webapp", { directwatch: 1 }],
-    ["src/i18n/", "webapp/i18n/", { languages: 1 }],
-    ["node_modules/matrix-react-sdk/src/i18n/strings/", "webapp/i18n/", { languages: 1 }],
 ];
 
+INCLUDE_LANGS.forEach(function(l) {
+    COPY_LIST.push([
+        l, "webapp/i18n/", { lang: 1 },
+    ]);
+});
+
 const parseArgs = require('minimist');
 const Cpx = require('cpx');
 const chokidar = require('chokidar');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const rimraf = require('rimraf');
 
-// cleanup language files before copying them.
-//rimraf("webapp/", function () { console.log('cleanup language files'); });
-
-//From http://stackoverflow.com/a/20525865/4929236
-function generateFileArray(dir, files_) {
-    files_ = files_ || [];
-    var files = fs.readdirSync(dir);
-    for (var i in files) {
-        var name = files[i];
-        if (name != 'basefile.json') {
-            files_.push(name);
-        }
-    }
-    return files_;
-}
-
 const argv = parseArgs(
     process.argv.slice(2), {}
 );
@@ -54,6 +59,15 @@ function errCheck(err) {
     }
 }
 
+// Check if webapp exists
+if (!fs.existsSync('webapp')) {
+    fs.mkdirSync('webapp');
+}
+// Check if i18n exists
+if (!fs.existsSync('webapp/i18n/')) {
+    fs.mkdirSync('webapp/i18n/');
+}
+
 function next(i, err) {
     errCheck(err);
 
@@ -67,32 +81,11 @@ function next(i, err) {
     const opts = ent[2] || {};
     let cpx = undefined;
 
-    if (opts.languages) {
-        const sourceFiles = generateFileArray(source);
-        let Sourcelanguages = {};
-        if (!fs.existsSync(dest)) {
-            fs.mkdirSync(dest);
-        }
-        sourceFiles.forEach(file => {
-            const fileContents = fs.readFileSync(source + file).toString();
-            Sourcelanguages[file] = JSON.parse(fileContents);
-        });
-        sourceFiles.forEach(file => {
-            if (!fs.existsSync(dest + file)) {
-                let o = Object.assign({}, Sourcelanguages[file]);
-                fs.writeFileSync(dest + file, JSON.stringify(o, null, 4));
-            } else {
-                const fileContents = fs.readFileSync(dest + file).toString();
-                let o = Object.assign(JSON.parse(fileContents), Sourcelanguages[file]);
-                fs.writeFileSync(dest + file, JSON.stringify(o, null, 4));
-            }
-        });
-
-    } else {
+    if (!opts.lang) {
         cpx = new Cpx.Cpx(source, dest);
     }
 
-    if (verbose) {
+    if (verbose && cpx) {
         cpx.on("copy", (event) => {
             console.log(`Copied: ${event.srcPath} --> ${event.dstPath}`);
         });
@@ -115,59 +108,68 @@ function next(i, err) {
                 .on('change', copy)
                 .on('ready', cb)
                 .on('error', errCheck);
-        } else if (opts.languages) {
-            if (verbose) {
-                console.log('don\'t copy language file');
-            }
+        } else if (opts.lang) {
+            const reactSdkFile = 'node_modules/matrix-react-sdk/src/i18n/strings/' + source + '.json';
+            const riotWebFile = 'src/i18n/strings/' + source + '.json';
+
+            const translations = {};
+            const makeLang = () => { genLangFile(source, dest) };
+            [reactSdkFile, riotWebFile].forEach(function(f) {
+                chokidar.watch(f)
+                    .on('add', makeLang)
+                    .on('change', makeLang)
+                    //.on('ready', cb)  We'd have to do this when both files are ready
+                    .on('error', errCheck);
+            });
             next(i + 1, err);
         } else {
             cpx.on('watch-ready', cb);
             cpx.on("watch-error", cb);
             cpx.watch();
         }
-    } else if (opts.languages) {
-        if (verbose) {
-            console.log('don\'t copy language file');
-        }
+    } else if (opts.lang) {
+        genLangFile(source, dest);
         next(i + 1, err);
     } else {
         cpx.copy(cb);
     }
 }
 
-// Generate Language List
+function genLangFile(lang, dest) {
+    const reactSdkFile = 'node_modules/matrix-react-sdk/src/i18n/strings/' + lang + '.json';
+    const riotWebFile = 'src/i18n/strings/' + lang + '.json';
 
-const testFolder = 'src/i18n/';
-let languages = {};
-// Check if webapp exists
-if (!fs.existsSync('webapp')) {
-    fs.mkdirSync('webapp');
-}
-// Check if i18n exists
-if (!fs.existsSync('webapp/i18n/')) {
-    fs.mkdirSync('webapp/i18n/');
-}
-
-if (!fs.existsSync('webapp/i18n/languages.json')) {
-    rimraf("webapp/i18n/languages.json", function() { console.log('cleanup languages.json file'); });
-}
-
-fs.readdir(testFolder, function(err, files) {
-    if (err) {
-        throw err;
+    const translations = {};
+    [reactSdkFile, riotWebFile].forEach(function(f) {
+        if (fs.existsSync(f)) {
+            Object.assign(
+                translations,
+                JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(f).toString())
+            );
+        }
+    });
+    fs.writeFileSync(dest + lang + '.json', JSON.stringify(translations, null, 4));
+    if (verbose) {
+        console.log("Generated language file: " + lang);
     }
-    files.forEach(function(file) {
-        var normalizedLanguage = file.toLowerCase().replace("_", "-").split('.json')[0];
-        var languageParts = normalizedLanguage.split('-');
-        if (file != 'basefile.json') {
-            if (languageParts.length == 2 && languageParts[0] == languageParts[1]) {
-                languages[languageParts[0]] = file;
-            } else {
-                languages[normalizedLanguage] = file;
-            }
+}
+
+function genLangList() {
+    const languages = {};
+    INCLUDE_LANGS.forEach(function(lang) {
+        const normalizedLanguage = lang.toLowerCase().replace("_", "-");
+        const languageParts = normalizedLanguage.split('-');
+        if (languageParts.length == 2 && languageParts[0] == languageParts[1]) {
+            languages[languageParts[0]] = lang;
+        } else {
+            languages[normalizedLanguage] = lang;
         }
     });
     fs.writeFile('webapp/i18n/languages.json', JSON.stringify(languages, null, 4));
-})
+    if (verbose) {
+        console.log("Generated language list");
+    }
+}
 
-next(0);
\ No newline at end of file
+genLangList();
+next(0);
diff --git a/src/i18n/basefile.json b/src/i18n/strings/basefile.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/basefile.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/basefile.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/be.json b/src/i18n/strings/be.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/be.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/be.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/da.json b/src/i18n/strings/da.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/da.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/da.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/de_DE.json b/src/i18n/strings/de_DE.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/de_DE.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/de_DE.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/en_EN.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/fr.json b/src/i18n/strings/fr.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/fr.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/fr.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/ml.json b/src/i18n/strings/ml.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/ml.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/ml.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/pl.json b/src/i18n/strings/pl.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/pl.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/pl.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/pt.json b/src/i18n/strings/pt.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/pt.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/pt.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/pt_BR.json b/src/i18n/strings/pt_BR.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/pt_BR.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/pt_BR.json
diff --git a/src/i18n/ru.json b/src/i18n/strings/ru.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/i18n/ru.json
rename to src/i18n/strings/ru.json