diff --git a/.github/scripts/build_i18n_messages.py b/.github/scripts/build_i18n_messages.py
index 6770dddf..824194a4 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/build_i18n_messages.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/build_i18n_messages.py
@@ -316,7 +316,8 @@ def main() -> int:
 
     if total_failures:
         print(
-            f"\nCompleted with {len(total_failures)} translation failures.",
+            f"\nCompleted with {len(total_failures)} translation failures "
+            f"(partial progress persisted, next run will retry).",
             file=sys.stderr,
             flush=True,
         )
@@ -324,7 +325,14 @@ def main() -> int:
             print(f"  - {lang}: {key} → {error}", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
         if len(total_failures) > 20:
             print(f"  ... and {len(total_failures) - 20} more.", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
-        return 2
+        # Exit 0 on partial failure so the workflow's Commit + push
+        # step still runs and the keys that DID translate reach
+        # develop. The un-translated keys stay empty and the next
+        # workflow tick (or a manual dispatch) retries them.
+        # Previously we returned 2, which failed the whole run and
+        # discarded 36 out of 38 successful translations because
+        # 2 googletrans timeouts hit sv at the start of the burst.
+        return 0
 
     print("\ni18n messages generated successfully.", flush=True)
     return 0
diff --git a/.github/scripts/build_translation_cache.py b/.github/scripts/build_translation_cache.py
index e1877328..6ac25b1c 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/build_translation_cache.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/build_translation_cache.py
@@ -388,12 +388,20 @@ def main() -> int:
         write_language_cache(output_dir / f"{lang}.json", cache)
 
     if failures:
-        print(f"Completed with {len(failures)} translation failures.", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
+        print(
+            f"Completed with {len(failures)} translation failures "
+            f"(partial progress persisted, next run will retry).",
+            file=sys.stderr, flush=True,
+        )
         for text, lang, error in failures[:20]:
             print(f"- {lang}: {text[:80]} -> {error}", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
         if len(failures) > 20:
             print(f"... and {len(failures) - 20} more.", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
-        return 2
+        # Exit 0 on partial failure so the workflow's Commit + push
+        # step still runs. Otherwise a couple of transient googletrans
+        # timeouts would fail the whole workflow and discard every
+        # successful translation from the same batch.
+        return 0
 
     print("Translation cache generated successfully.", flush=True)
     return 0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-i18n-messages.yml b/.github/workflows/build-i18n-messages.yml
index 7124dd86..8152b699 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-i18n-messages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-i18n-messages.yml
@@ -24,11 +24,15 @@ on:
   push:
     branches: [develop]
     paths:
-      # `**/common.json` catches every locale, not just en/. Needed
-      # because manual edits to sk/sv (or any curated locale) that
-      # empty a key so the workflow refills it wouldn't otherwise
-      # trigger the job when en/ hasn't changed.
-      - 'AppImage/messages/**/common.json'
+      # Only en/ triggers the run — it's the source of truth. Other
+      # locales are destinations, and the bot auto-commits them at
+      # the end of every run; if they were in the trigger too, each
+      # auto-commit would fire another (empty) run.
+      # Manual edits to a curated locale that empty a key for the
+      # workflow to refill are the exception — dispatch this
+      # workflow manually from Actions in that case, or piggy-back
+      # a trivial en/ change onto the commit.
+      - 'AppImage/messages/en/common.json'
       - '.github/scripts/build_i18n_messages.py'
       - '.github/workflows/build-i18n-messages.yml'
   workflow_dispatch: