diff --git a/js-build/localize-ftl.mjs b/js-build/localize-ftl.mjs
index 745dfca5d2..7146d9b127 100644
--- a/js-build/localize-ftl.mjs
+++ b/js-build/localize-ftl.mjs
@@ -49,21 +49,25 @@ async function getFTL() {
 			catch (e) {
 				// no local .ftl file
 			}
+			let baseFTL;
 			let jsonFromEnUSFTL = {};
+
 			try {
 				const enUSFtlPath = join(getLocaleDir('en-US'), sourceFileBaseName + '.ftl');
-				const ftl = await fs.readFile(enUSFtlPath, 'utf8');
-				jsonFromEnUSFTL = ftlToJSON(ftl);
+				baseFTL = await fs.readFile(enUSFtlPath, 'utf8');
+				jsonFromEnUSFTL = ftlToJSON(baseFTL);
 			}
 			catch (e) {
-				console.warn(`No en-US .ftl file for ${sourceFileBaseName}.`);
+				throw new Error(`No en-US .ftl file for ${sourceFileBaseName}.ftl`);
 			}
+
 			const mergedSourceJSON = { ...jsonFromEnUSFTL, ...jsonFromLocalFTL };
 			const sourceKeys = Object.keys(mergedSourceJSON);
 			const translated = new Map();
 
 			for (let key of sourceKeys) {
-				if (key in jsonFromTransifex) {
+				//  ignore empty messages from transifex
+				if (key in jsonFromTransifex && jsonFromTransifex[key]?.string) {
 					translated.set(key, jsonFromTransifex[key]);
 				}
 				else {
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ async function getFTL() {
 				}
 			}
 
-			const ftl = JSONToFtl(Object.fromEntries(translated));
+			const ftl = JSONToFtl(Object.fromEntries(translated), baseFTL);
 			const outFtlPath = join(getLocaleDir(locale), sourceFileBaseName + '.ftl');
 			await fs.outputFile(outFtlPath, ftl);
 			onProgress(`${locale}/${sourceFileBaseName}.ftl`, null, 'localize');
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index f31af84a3d..2f9770b789 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
         "eslint-plugin-react": "^7.28.0",
         "eslint-plugin-react-hooks": "^4.0.4",
         "fs-extra": "^3.0.1",
-        "ftl-tx": "^0.10.0",
+        "ftl-tx": "^0.11.0",
         "globby": "^6.1.0",
         "jspath": "^0.4.0",
         "mocha": "^10.4.0",
@@ -3667,9 +3667,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/ftl-tx": {
-      "version": "0.10.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ftl-tx/-/ftl-tx-0.10.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-MtUChEGb2vQzVtQvEkNnEPCLbYDWdGkt0ytcXL71wN/4HIBHAeaRO5Y1+MnnkFKxfm0aVHBbwONHyRmS9ewJ9g==",
+      "version": "0.11.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ftl-tx/-/ftl-tx-0.11.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-tkE5Im6Pr2FzHQT/ZLYfK4Rt48Zok/4WY2ZXc/xvmjbpQ+Wvslgvy9KjrgTJbv8295NmZbp8NMTQeijBpejabQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@fluent/syntax": "^0.19.0"
@@ -10588,9 +10588,9 @@
       }
     },
     "ftl-tx": {
-      "version": "0.10.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ftl-tx/-/ftl-tx-0.10.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-MtUChEGb2vQzVtQvEkNnEPCLbYDWdGkt0ytcXL71wN/4HIBHAeaRO5Y1+MnnkFKxfm0aVHBbwONHyRmS9ewJ9g==",
+      "version": "0.11.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ftl-tx/-/ftl-tx-0.11.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-tkE5Im6Pr2FzHQT/ZLYfK4Rt48Zok/4WY2ZXc/xvmjbpQ+Wvslgvy9KjrgTJbv8295NmZbp8NMTQeijBpejabQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "@fluent/syntax": "^0.19.0"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index beb83e6b87..889ff8ecda 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     "eslint-plugin-react": "^7.28.0",
     "eslint-plugin-react-hooks": "^4.0.4",
     "fs-extra": "^3.0.1",
-    "ftl-tx": "^0.10.0",
+    "ftl-tx": "^0.11.0",
     "globby": "^6.1.0",
     "jspath": "^0.4.0",
     "mocha": "^10.4.0",