diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bd4c167f..c756866c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -963,6 +963,7 @@ GAME_OBJS_ = \
 	src/game/g_sphere.o \
 	src/game/g_svcmds.o \
 	src/game/g_target.o \
+	src/game/g_translate.o \
 	src/game/g_trigger.o \
 	src/game/g_turret.o \
 	src/game/g_utils.o \
diff --git a/src/game/g_func.c b/src/game/g_func.c
index 993b43c2..88642387 100644
--- a/src/game/g_func.c
+++ b/src/game/g_func.c
@@ -2618,7 +2618,7 @@ door_touch(edict_t *self, edict_t *other, cplane_t *plane /* unused */,
 
 	self->touch_debounce_time = level.time + 5.0;
 
-	gi.centerprintf(other, "%s", self->message);
+	gi.centerprintf(other, "%s", LocalizationMessage(self->message));
 	gi.sound(other, CHAN_AUTO, gi.soundindex("misc/talk1.wav"), 1, ATTN_NORM, 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/game/g_newfnc.c b/src/game/g_newfnc.c
index e48b899c..7a69e590 100644
--- a/src/game/g_newfnc.c
+++ b/src/game/g_newfnc.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ secret_touch(edict_t *self, edict_t *other, cplane_t *plane /* unused */, csurfa
 
 	if (self->message)
 	{
-		gi.centerprintf(other, self->message);
+		gi.centerprintf(other, LocalizationMessage(self->message));
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/game/g_spawn.c b/src/game/g_spawn.c
index 72815cd3..ed9a9173 100644
--- a/src/game/g_spawn.c
+++ b/src/game/g_spawn.c
@@ -865,8 +865,8 @@ SP_worldspawn(edict_t *ent)
 	/* make some data visible to the server */
 	if (ent->message && ent->message[0])
 	{
-		gi.configstring(CS_NAME, ent->message);
-		Q_strlcpy(level.level_name, ent->message, sizeof(level.level_name));
+		Q_strlcpy(level.level_name, LocalizationMessage(ent->message), sizeof(level.level_name));
+		gi.configstring(CS_NAME, level.level_name);
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/src/game/g_translate.c b/src/game/g_translate.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae634401
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/g_translate.c
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 1997-2001 Id Software, Inc.
+ * Copyright (c) ZeniMax Media Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+ *
+ * See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
+ * 02111-1307, USA.
+ *
+ * =======================================================================
+ *
+ * Localization logic.
+ *
+ * =======================================================================
+ */
+
+#include "header/local.h"
+
+localmessages_t *localmessages = NULL;
+int nlocalmessages = 0;
+
+static int
+LocalizationSort(const void *p1, const void *p2)
+{
+	localmessages_t *msg1, *msg2;
+
+	msg1 = (localmessages_t*)p1;
+	msg2 = (localmessages_t*)p2;
+	return Q_stricmp(msg1->key, msg2->key);
+}
+
+void
+LocalizationInit(void)
+{
+	byte *raw = NULL;
+	int len;
+
+	localmessages = NULL;
+	nlocalmessages = 0;
+
+	/* load the file */
+	len = gi.FS_LoadFile("localization/loc_english.txt", (void **)&raw);
+	if (len > 1)
+	{
+		char *buf, *curr;
+		int i;
+
+		buf = malloc(len + 1);
+		memcpy(buf, raw, len);
+		buf[len] = 0;
+
+		/* get lines count */
+		curr = buf;
+		while(*curr)
+		{
+			size_t linesize = 0;
+
+			linesize = strcspn(curr, "\n\r");
+			if (*curr && strncmp(curr, "//", 2) &&
+				*curr != '\n' && *curr != '\r')
+			{
+				nlocalmessages ++;
+			}
+			curr += linesize;
+			if (curr >= (buf + len))
+			{
+				break;
+			}
+			/* skip our endline */
+			curr++;
+		}
+
+		if (nlocalmessages)
+		{
+			localmessages = gi.TagMalloc(nlocalmessages * sizeof(*localmessages), TAG_GAME);
+			memset(localmessages, 0, nlocalmessages * sizeof(*localmessages));
+		}
+
+		/* parse lines */
+		curr = buf;
+		i = 0;
+		while(*curr)
+		{
+			size_t linesize = 0;
+
+			if (i == nlocalmessages)
+			{
+				break;
+			}
+
+			linesize = strcspn(curr, "\n\r");
+			curr[linesize] = 0;
+			if (*curr && strncmp(curr, "//", 2) &&
+				*curr != '\n' && *curr != '\r')
+			{
+				char *sign;
+
+				sign = strchr(curr, '=');
+				/* clean up end of key */
+				if (sign)
+				{
+					char *signend;
+
+					signend = sign - 1;
+					while ((*signend == ' ' || *signend == '\t') &&
+						   (signend > curr))
+					{
+						*signend = 0;
+						/* go back */
+						signend --;
+					}
+					*sign = 0;
+					sign ++;
+				}
+
+				/* skip value prefix */
+				if (sign && *sign)
+				{
+					size_t valueskip;
+
+					valueskip = strcspn(sign, " \t");
+					sign += valueskip;
+					if (*sign)
+					{
+						sign++;
+					}
+				}
+
+				/* start real value */
+				if (sign && *sign == '"')
+				{
+					char *currend;
+
+					sign ++;
+
+					currend = sign;
+					while (*currend && *currend != '"')
+					{
+						if (*currend == '\\')
+						{
+							/* escaped */
+							*currend = ' ';
+							currend++;
+							if (*currend == 'n')
+							{
+								/* new line */
+								*currend = '\n';
+							}
+						}
+						currend++;
+					}
+
+					if (*currend == '"')
+					{
+						/* mark as end of string */
+						*currend = 0;
+					}
+
+					localmessages[i].key = gi.TagMalloc(strlen(curr) + 2, TAG_GAME);
+					localmessages[i].key[0] = '$';
+					strcpy(localmessages[i].key + 1, curr);
+					localmessages[i].value = gi.TagMalloc(strlen(sign) + 1, TAG_GAME);
+					strcpy(localmessages[i].value, sign);
+					i ++;
+				}
+			}
+			curr += linesize;
+			if (curr >= (buf + len))
+			{
+				break;
+			}
+			/* skip our endline */
+			curr++;
+		}
+
+		nlocalmessages = i;
+		/* sort messages */
+		qsort(localmessages, nlocalmessages, sizeof(localmessages_t), LocalizationSort);
+
+		gi.FS_FreeFile(raw);
+		free(buf);
+	}
+}
+
+const char*
+LocalizationMessage(const char *message)
+{
+	if (!message || !localmessages || !nlocalmessages)
+	{
+		return message;
+	}
+
+	if (message[0] == '$')
+	{
+		int i;
+
+		for (i = 0; i < nlocalmessages; i++)
+		{
+			if (!strcmp(localmessages[i].key, message))
+			{
+				return localmessages[i].value;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return message;
+}
diff --git a/src/game/g_utils.c b/src/game/g_utils.c
index 388487fc..08429b41 100644
--- a/src/game/g_utils.c
+++ b/src/game/g_utils.c
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ G_UseTargets(edict_t *ent, edict_t *activator)
 	/* print the message */
 	if (activator && (ent->message) && !(activator->svflags & SVF_MONSTER))
 	{
-		gi.centerprintf(activator, "%s", ent->message);
+		gi.centerprintf(activator, "%s", LocalizationMessage(ent->message));
 
 		if (ent->noise_index)
 		{
diff --git a/src/game/header/game.h b/src/game/header/game.h
index 5b61f956..7dac50dc 100644
--- a/src/game/header/game.h
+++ b/src/game/header/game.h
@@ -189,6 +189,15 @@ typedef struct
 	void (*AddCommandString)(const char *text);
 
 	void (*DebugGraph)(float value, int color);
+
+	/* Extended to classic Quake2 API.
+	   files will be memory mapped read only
+	   the returned buffer may be part of a larger pak file,
+	   or a discrete file from anywhere in the quake search path
+	   a -1 return means the file does not exist
+	   NULL can be passed for buf to just determine existance */
+	int (*FS_LoadFile) (const char *name, void **buf);
+	void (*FS_FreeFile) (void *buf);
 } game_import_t;
 
 /* functions exported by the game subsystem */
diff --git a/src/game/header/local.h b/src/game/header/local.h
index 23a2a126..42629a53 100644
--- a/src/game/header/local.h
+++ b/src/game/header/local.h
@@ -994,6 +994,18 @@ void SV_AddGravity(edict_t *ent);
 void SaveClientData(void);
 void EndDMLevel(void);
 
+/* g_translate.c */
+typedef struct
+{
+	char *key;
+	char *value;
+} localmessages_t;
+
+extern localmessages_t *localmessages;
+extern int nlocalmessages;
+void LocalizationInit(void);
+const char* LocalizationMessage(const char *message);
+
 /* g_chase.c */
 void UpdateChaseCam(edict_t *ent);
 void ChaseNext(edict_t *ent);
diff --git a/src/game/player/hud.c b/src/game/player/hud.c
index d475b375..1d961769 100644
--- a/src/game/player/hud.c
+++ b/src/game/player/hud.c
@@ -421,8 +421,8 @@ HelpComputerMessage(edict_t *ent)
 			"xv 50 yv 172 string2 \"%3i/%3i     %i/%i       %i/%i\" ",
 			sk,
 			level.level_name,
-			game.helpmessage1,
-			game.helpmessage2,
+			LocalizationMessage(game.helpmessage1),
+			LocalizationMessage(game.helpmessage2),
 			level.killed_monsters, level.total_monsters,
 			level.found_goals, level.total_goals,
 			level.found_secrets, level.total_secrets);
diff --git a/src/game/savegame/savegame.c b/src/game/savegame/savegame.c
index 77705d8d..410c7f30 100644
--- a/src/game/savegame/savegame.c
+++ b/src/game/savegame/savegame.c
@@ -264,6 +264,9 @@ InitGame(void)
 	g_quick_weap = gi.cvar("g_quick_weap", "1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	g_swap_speed = gi.cvar("g_swap_speed", "1", 0);
 
+	/* initilize localization */
+	LocalizationInit();
+
 	/* items */
 	InitItems();
 
diff --git a/src/server/sv_game.c b/src/server/sv_game.c
index 6e03254e..124fb8ae 100644
--- a/src/server/sv_game.c
+++ b/src/server/sv_game.c
@@ -453,6 +453,10 @@ SV_InitGameProgs(void)
 	import.SetAreaPortalState = CM_SetAreaPortalState;
 	import.AreasConnected = CM_AreasConnected;
 
+	/* Extension to classic Quake2 API */
+	import.FS_LoadFile = FS_LoadFile;
+	import.FS_FreeFile = FS_FreeFile;
+
 	ge = (game_export_t *)Sys_GetGameAPI(&import);
 
 	if (!ge)