diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d63b50510..8ff1d5909 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -355,6 +355,10 @@ endif()
 
 add_definitions(-DAUTO_INITIALIZE_EASYLOGGINGPP)
 
+# Generate header for embedded translations
+add_subdirectory(translations)
+include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/translations")
+
 add_subdirectory(external)
 
 # Final setup for miniupnpc
diff --git a/src/common/i18n.cpp b/src/common/i18n.cpp
index 4a76e76fc..28a186bf0 100644
--- a/src/common/i18n.cpp
+++ b/src/common/i18n.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "file_io_utils.h"
 #include "common/util.h"
 #include "common/i18n.h"
+#include "translation_files.h"
 
 #undef MONERO_DEFAULT_LOG_CATEGORY
 #define MONERO_DEFAULT_LOG_CATEGORY "i18n"
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ std::string i18n_get_language()
     e = "en";
 
   std::string language = e;
+  language = language.substr(0, language.find("."));
   std::transform(language.begin(), language.end(), language.begin(), tolower);
   return language;
 }
@@ -137,25 +139,40 @@ int i18n_set_language(const char *directory, const char *base, std::string langu
   i18n_log("Loading translations for language " << language);
 
   boost::system::error_code ignored_ec;
-  if (!boost::filesystem::exists(filename, ignored_ec)) {
+  if (boost::filesystem::exists(filename, ignored_ec)) {
+    if (!epee::file_io_utils::load_file_to_string(filename, contents)) {
+      i18n_log("Failed to load translations file: " << filename);
+      return -1;
+    }
+  } else {
     i18n_log("Translations file not found: " << filename);
-    const char *underscore = strchr(language.c_str(), '_');
-    if (underscore) {
-      std::string fallback_language = std::string(language, 0, underscore - language.c_str());
-      filename = std::string(directory) + "/" + base + "_" + fallback_language + ".qm";
-      i18n_log("Not found, loading translations for language " << fallback_language);
-      if (!boost::filesystem::exists(filename, ignored_ec)) {
-        i18n_log("Translations file not found: " << filename);
+    filename = std::string(base) + "_" + language + ".qm";
+    if (!find_embedded_file(filename, contents)) {
+      i18n_log("Embedded translations file not found: " << filename);
+      const char *underscore = strchr(language.c_str(), '_');
+      if (underscore) {
+        std::string fallback_language = std::string(language, 0, underscore - language.c_str());
+        filename = std::string(directory) + "/" + base + "_" + fallback_language + ".qm";
+        i18n_log("Loading translations for language " << fallback_language);
+        if (boost::filesystem::exists(filename, ignored_ec)) {
+          if (!epee::file_io_utils::load_file_to_string(filename, contents)) {
+            i18n_log("Failed to load translations file: " << filename);
+            return -1;
+          }
+        } else {
+          i18n_log("Translations file not found: " << filename);
+          filename = std::string(base) + "_" + fallback_language + ".qm";
+          if (!find_embedded_file(filename, contents)) {
+            i18n_log("Embedded translations file not found: " << filename);
+            return -1;
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
         return -1;
       }
     }
   }
 
-  if (!epee::file_io_utils::load_file_to_string(filename, contents)) {
-    i18n_log("Failed to load translations file: " << filename);
-    return -1;
-  }
-
   data = (const unsigned char*)contents.c_str();
   datalen = contents.size();
   idx = 0;
diff --git a/translations/CMakeLists.txt b/translations/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36b72d68a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translations/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2017, The Monero Project
+#
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
+# permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+#
+# 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
+#    conditions and the following disclaimer.
+#
+# 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list
+#    of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other
+#    materials provided with the distribution.
+#
+# 3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors may be
+#    used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific
+#    prior written permission.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY
+# EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
+# MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+# THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+# SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
+# PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+# INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
+# STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF
+# THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.7)
+
+add_executable(generate_translations_header generate_translations_header.c)
+
+find_program(LRELEASE lrelease)
+if(LRELEASE STREQUAL "LRELEASE-NOTFOUND")
+  set(ts_files "")
+  message(WARNING "lrelease program not found, translation files not built")
+else()
+  file(GLOB ts_files RELATIVE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}" *.ts)
+  foreach(ts_file ${ts_files})
+    string(REPLACE ".ts" ".qm" qm_file "${ts_file}")
+    add_custom_command(TARGET generate_translations_header
+      PRE_BUILD
+      COMMAND ${LRELEASE} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${ts_file}" -qm "${qm_file}"
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BIN_DIR}")
+  endforeach()
+endif()
+
+string(REPLACE ".ts" ".qm" qm_files "${ts_files}")
+
+add_custom_command(TARGET generate_translations_header
+  POST_BUILD
+  COMMAND generate_translations_header ${qm_files}
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BIN_DIR}"
+  COMMENT "Generating embedded translations header")
diff --git a/translations/generate_translations_header.c b/translations/generate_translations_header.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69671913e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translations/generate_translations_header.c
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2013, Sergey Lyubka
+// Copyright (c) 2017, The Monero Project
+// All rights reserved.
+// Released under the MIT license.
+
+// This program takes a list of files as an input, and produces C++ code that
+// contains the contents of all these files as a collection of strings.
+//
+// Usage:
+//   1. Compile this file:
+//      cc -o generate-translations-header generate-translations-header.c
+//
+//   2. Convert list of files into single header:
+//      ./generate-translations-header monero_fr.qm monero_it.qm > translations_files.h
+//
+//   3. In your application code, include translations_files.h, then you can
+//      access the files using this function:
+//      static bool find_embedded_file(const std::string &file_name, std::string &data);
+//      std::string data;
+//      find_embedded_file("monero_fr.qm", data);
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+static const char *code =
+  "static bool find_embedded_file(const std::string &name, std::string &data) {\n"
+  "  const struct embedded_file *p;\n"
+  "  for (p = embedded_files; p->name != NULL; p++) {\n"
+  "    if (*p->name == name) {\n"
+  "      data = *p->data;\n"
+  "      return true;\n"
+  "    }\n"
+  "  }\n"
+  "  return false;\n"
+  "}\n";
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+  FILE *fp, *foutput;
+  int i, j, ch;
+
+  if((foutput = fopen("translation_files.h", "w")) == NULL) {
+    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+  }
+
+  fprintf(foutput, "#ifndef TRANSLATION_FILES_H\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "#define TRANSLATION_FILES_H\n\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "#include <string>\n\n");
+
+  for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+    if ((fp = fopen(argv[i], "rb")) == NULL) {
+      exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    } else {
+      fprintf(foutput, "static const std::string translation_file_name_%d = \"%s\";\n", i, argv[i]);
+      fprintf(foutput, "static const std::string translation_file_data_%d = std::string(", i);
+      for (j = 0; (ch = fgetc(fp)) != EOF; j++) {
+        if ((j % 16) == 0) {
+          if (j > 0) {
+            fprintf(foutput, "%s", "\"");
+          }
+          fprintf(foutput, "%s", "\n  \"");
+        }
+        fprintf(foutput, "\\x%02x", ch);
+      }
+      fprintf(foutput, "\",\n  %d);\n\n", j);
+      fclose(fp);
+    }
+  }
+
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s", "static const struct embedded_file {\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s", "  const std::string *name;\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s", "  const std::string *data;\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s", "} embedded_files[] = {\n");
+
+  for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+    fprintf(foutput, "  {&translation_file_name_%d, &translation_file_data_%d},\n", i, i);
+  }
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s", "  {NULL, NULL}\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s", "};\n\n");
+  fprintf(foutput, "%s\n", code);
+
+  fprintf(foutput, "#endif /* TRANSLATION_FILES_H */\n");
+
+  fclose(foutput);
+
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}