diff --git a/StaticMessages.sh b/StaticMessages.sh
index 3eea0cf968bba21f783c8c83d5eece4573cd2d8a..4c8fba6a7fa1dc1c4a5fe0796602d19d3dbbdec1 100644
--- a/StaticMessages.sh
+++ b/StaticMessages.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ function import_po_files # First parameter will be a path that will contain seve
 	podir=$1
 	# Android doesn't support languages with an @
 	find "$podir" -type f -name "*@*.po" -delete
+	# drop obsolete messages, as Babel cannot parse them -- see:
+	# https://github.com/python-babel/babel/issues/206
+	# https://github.com/python-babel/babel/issues/566
+	find "$podir" -name '*.po' -exec msgattrib --no-obsolete -o {} {} \;
 	ANSI_COLORS_DISABLED=1 a2po import --ignore-fuzzy --android res/ --gettext $podir
 }