diff --git a/dragonpilot/system/ui/lib/multilang.py b/dragonpilot/system/ui/lib/multilang.py
index 638ce09b..35d5378c 100644
--- a/dragonpilot/system/ui/lib/multilang.py
+++ b/dragonpilot/system/ui/lib/multilang.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import gettext
 import os
-import subprocess
+import re
 from openpilot.system.ui.lib.multilang import (
   multilang as base_multilang,
   TRANSLATIONS_DIR,
@@ -8,11 +8,141 @@ from openpilot.system.ui.lib.multilang import (
 )
 
 
+def _parse_po(po_path):
+  """Pure Python .po file parser - returns dict of msgid -> msgstr."""
+  catalog = {}
+
+  with open(po_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+    lines = f.readlines()
+
+  i = 0
+  n = len(lines)
+
+  while i < n:
+    line = lines[i]
+
+    # Skip comments (#, #., #:, #|, #~)
+    if line.startswith('#'):
+      i += 1
+      continue
+
+    # Blank line
+    if line.strip() == '':
+      i += 1
+      continue
+
+    # Try to match msgid
+    msgid_match = re.match(r'^msgid\s+"(.*)"\s*$', line)
+    if msgid_match:
+      msgid = msgid_match.group(1)
+      i += 1
+
+      # Collect continued msgid strings
+      while i < n:
+        cont = re.match(r'^"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+        if cont:
+          msgid += cont.group(1)
+          i += 1
+        else:
+          break
+
+      # Now expect msgid_plural or msgstr
+      if i < n and lines[i].startswith('msgid_plural'):
+        # Plural form
+        plur_match = re.match(r'^msgid_plural\s+"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+        msgid_plural = plur_match.group(1) if plur_match else ''
+        i += 1
+        while i < n:
+          cont = re.match(r'^"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+          if cont:
+            msgid_plural += cont.group(1)
+            i += 1
+          else:
+            break
+
+        # Read msgstr[0], msgstr[1], ...
+        plural_strs = {}
+        while i < n:
+          p_match = re.match(r'^msgstr\[(\d+)\]\s+"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+          if p_match:
+            idx = int(p_match.group(1))
+            val = p_match.group(2)
+            i += 1
+            while i < n:
+              cont = re.match(r'^"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+              if cont:
+                val += cont.group(1)
+                i += 1
+              else:
+                break
+            plural_strs[idx] = val
+          else:
+            break
+
+        # Store: both singular and plural keys for N=1
+        s_val = plural_strs.get(0, msgid)
+        catalog[msgid] = s_val
+        catalog[msgid + '\x00' + msgid_plural] = plural_strs.get(1, msgid_plural)
+
+      else:
+        # Singular form
+        if i < n:
+          str_match = re.match(r'^msgstr\s+"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+          if str_match:
+            msgstr = str_match.group(1)
+            i += 1
+          else:
+            # Maybe msgstr is empty on same line
+            empty_match = re.match(r'^msgstr\s+""\s*$', lines[i])
+            if empty_match:
+              msgstr = ''
+              i += 1
+            else:
+              msgstr = ''
+              # Don't advance - next loop handles it
+
+          # Collect continued msgstr strings
+          while i < n:
+            cont = re.match(r'^"(.*)"\s*$', lines[i])
+            if cont:
+              msgstr += cont.group(1)
+              i += 1
+            else:
+              break
+        else:
+          msgstr = ''
+
+        # Skip header entry (msgid ""), don't add to catalog
+        if msgid != '':
+          catalog[msgid] = msgstr
+
+    else:
+      i += 1
+
+  return catalog
+
+
+class PoTranslations(gettext.NullTranslations):
+  """Pure Python .po parser - no msgfmt/polib needed."""
+
+  def __init__(self, po_path):
+    super().__init__()
+    self._catalog = _parse_po(po_path)
+
+  def gettext(self, msgid):
+    return self._catalog.get(msgid, msgid)
+
+  def ngettext(self, singular, plural, n):
+    return self._catalog.get(singular + '\x00' + plural,
+                             self._catalog.get(singular,
+                                               singular if n == 1 else plural))
+
+
 class DpMultilang:
   """Wrapper that syncs with base multilang and adds dragonpilot translations."""
 
   def __init__(self):
-    self._dragon_translation: gettext.NullTranslations | gettext.GNUTranslations = gettext.NullTranslations()
+    self._dragon_translation: gettext.NullTranslations | PoTranslations = gettext.NullTranslations()
     self._loaded_language: str = ""
 
   @property
@@ -30,35 +160,13 @@ class DpMultilang:
     current_lang = base_multilang.language
     if current_lang != self._loaded_language:
       self._loaded_language = current_lang
-      mo_path = TRANSLATIONS_DIR.joinpath(f'dragonpilot_{current_lang}.mo')
       po_path = TRANSLATIONS_DIR.joinpath(f'dragonpilot_{current_lang}.po')
-      try:
-        with mo_path.open('rb') as fh:
-          self._dragon_translation = gettext.GNUTranslations(fh)
-      except FileNotFoundError:
-        # Auto-compile .po to .mo if source exists
-        if po_path.exists():
-          try:
-            # Try msgfmt first (faster, available on device)
-            result = subprocess.run(['msgfmt', str(po_path), '-o', str(mo_path)], capture_output=True)
-            if result.returncode == 0 and mo_path.exists():
-              with mo_path.open('rb') as fh:
-                self._dragon_translation = gettext.GNUTranslations(fh)
-                return
-          except FileNotFoundError:
-            pass
-          # Fallback: try polib
-          try:
-            import polib
-            po = polib.pofile(str(po_path))
-            po.save_as_mofile(str(mo_path))
-            with mo_path.open('rb') as fh:
-              self._dragon_translation = gettext.GNUTranslations(fh)
-              return
-          except ImportError:
-            pass
-          except Exception:
-            pass
+      if po_path.exists():
+        try:
+          self._dragon_translation = PoTranslations(po_path)
+        except Exception:
+          self._dragon_translation = gettext.NullTranslations()
+      else:
         self._dragon_translation = gettext.NullTranslations()
 
   def tr(self, text: str) -> str: