diff --git a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
index e1b8e69af3..846e674ad0 100644
--- a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
+++ b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
@@ -2316,6 +2316,11 @@ def main():
         if option in ("makemessages", "compilemessages"):
             # some commands don't require the presence of a game directory to work
             need_gamedir = False
+            if CURRENT_DIR !=  EVENNIA_LIB:
+                print("You must stand in the evennia/evennia/ folder (where the 'locale/' "
+                      "folder is located) to run this command.")
+                sys.exit()
+
         if option in ("shell", "check", "makemigrations", "createsuperuser", "shell_plus"):
             # some django commands requires the database to exist,
             # or evennia._init to have run before they work right.