diff --git a/i18n/extract.py b/i18n/extract.py
index 694f1740e4f6..5cd617b4635f 100755
--- a/i18n/extract.py
+++ b/i18n/extract.py
@@ -44,29 +44,29 @@ def main():
     for filename in generated_files:
         remove_file(source_msgs_dir.joinpath(filename))
 
+    # Prepare makemessages command.
+    ignore_dirs = ["docs", "src", "i18n", "test_root"]
+    ignores = " ".join("--ignore={}/*".format(d) for d in ignore_dirs)
+    makemessages = 'django-admin.py makemessages -l en ' + ignores
+
     # Extract strings from mako templates.
     babel_mako_cmd = 'pybabel extract -F %s -c "Translators:" . -o %s' % (BABEL_CONFIG, BABEL_OUT)
-
-    # Extract strings from django source files.
-    make_django_cmd = (
-        'django-admin.py makemessages -l en --ignore=src/* --ignore=i18n/* '
-        '--extension html'
-    )
-    # Extract strings from Javascript source files.
-    make_djangojs_cmd = (
-        'django-admin.py makemessages -l en --ignore=src/* --ignore=i18n/* '
-        '-d djangojs --extension js'
-    )
     execute(babel_mako_cmd, working_directory=BASE_DIR)
+
+    # Extract strings from django source files, including .py files.
+    make_django_cmd = makemessages + ' --extension html'
     execute(make_django_cmd, working_directory=BASE_DIR)
 
+    # Extract strings from Javascript source files.
+    make_djangojs_cmd = makemessages + ' -d djangojs --extension js'
+    execute(make_djangojs_cmd, working_directory=BASE_DIR)
+
     # makemessages creates 'django.po'. This filename is hardcoded.
     # Rename it to django-partial.po to enable merging into django.po later.
     os.rename(
         source_msgs_dir.joinpath('django.po'),
         source_msgs_dir.joinpath('django-partial.po')
     )
-    execute(make_djangojs_cmd, working_directory=BASE_DIR)
 
     for filename in generated_files:
         LOG.info('Cleaning %s' % filename)