diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cc568a924c52..0d020e45fc93 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ conf/locale/fake*/LC_MESSAGES/*.mo
 # this was a mistake in i18n_tools, now fixed.
 conf/locale/messages.mo
 conf/plugins-locale/
+conf/locale/*/LC_MESSAGES/
+/*/static/js/i18n/
 /*/static/js/xblock.v1-i18n/
 
 ### Testing artifacts
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 55e43cf80863..65f4d58f2399 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,27 +45,24 @@ extract_translations: ## extract localizable strings from sources
 	cd conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES && rm wiki.po edx_proctoring_proctortrack.po mako.po underscore.po
 
 pull_plugin_translations:  ## Pull translations for edx_django_utils.plugins for both lms and cms
-	rm -rf conf/plugins-locale/plugins  # Clean up existing atlas translations
-	mkdir -p conf/plugins-locale/plugins
 	python manage.py lms pull_plugin_translations --verbose $(ATLAS_OPTIONS)
 	python manage.py lms compile_plugin_translations
 
 pull_xblock_translations:  ## pull xblock translations via atlas
-	rm -rf conf/plugins-locale/xblock.v1  # Clean up existing atlas translations
-	rm -rf lms/static/i18n/xblock.v1 cms/static/i18n/xblock.v1  # Clean up existing xblock compiled translations
 	python manage.py lms pull_xblock_translations --verbose $(ATLAS_OPTIONS)
 	python manage.py lms compile_xblock_translations
 	python manage.py cms compile_xblock_translations
 
 pull_translations: ## pull translations via atlas
-	git clean -fdX conf/locale conf/plugins-locale/studio-frontend
+	# Clean up the existing translations
+	git clean -fdX conf/locale conf/plugins-locale */static/js/i18n/ */static/js/xblock.v1-i18n/
+
 	make pull_xblock_translations
 	make pull_plugin_translations
-	find conf/locale -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -exec rm -r {} \;
 	atlas pull $(ATLAS_OPTIONS) \
 	    translations/edx-platform/conf/locale:conf/locale \
 	    translations/studio-frontend/src/i18n/messages:conf/plugins-locale/studio-frontend
-	python manage.py compilemessages
+	python manage.py lms compilemessages
 	python manage.py lms compilejsi18n
 	python manage.py cms compilejsi18n
 
diff --git a/pavelib/i18n.py b/pavelib/i18n.py
index 30a6f383e08b..cc960e3948a3 100644
--- a/pavelib/i18n.py
+++ b/pavelib/i18n.py
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ def i18n_validate_gettext():
         sys.stderr.write(msg)
         sys.exit(1)
 
+
 @task
 @timed
 def i18n_clean():