diff --git a/data/locales.js b/data/locales.js
index 7bd71aa90..84e926275 100644
--- a/data/locales.js
+++ b/data/locales.js
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+/*
+    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+
+    THIS FILE IS GENERATED BY `make translations`. Don't make changes to it.
+
+    Instead, edit the English strings in data/core.yaml or data/presets.yaml, or
+    contribute translations on https://www.transifex.com/projects/p/id-editor/.
+
+    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+ */
 locale.en = {
     "modes": {
         "add_area": {
diff --git a/data/update_locales.js b/data/update_locales.js
index 92b887ad0..ca94c2a4c 100644
--- a/data/update_locales.js
+++ b/data/update_locales.js
@@ -27,7 +27,16 @@ var sourceCore = yaml.load(fs.readFileSync('./data/core.yaml', 'utf8')),
 
 asyncMap(resources, getResource, function(err, locales) {
     if (err) return console.log(err);
-    var out = '';
+    var out = '/*\n' +
+        '    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\n' +
+        '\n' +
+        '    THIS FILE IS GENERATED BY `make translations`. Don\'t make changes to it.\n' +
+        '\n' +
+        '    Instead, edit the English strings in data/core.yaml or data/presets.yaml, or\n' +
+        '    contribute translations on https://www.transifex.com/projects/p/id-editor/.\n' +
+        '\n' +
+        '    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\n' +
+        ' */\n';
     var locale = _.merge(sourceCore, sourcePresets);
     locales.forEach(function(l) {
         locale = _.merge(locale, l);