diff --git a/i18n/push_translations.sh b/i18n/push_translations.sh
index 0ffc9b0938..b4d1bc2aed 100755
--- a/i18n/push_translations.sh
+++ b/i18n/push_translations.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,30 @@ python i18n/update_translations.py
 # check if anything except "POT creation date" has changed
 git diff --numstat i18n/keys.pot |  awk '{ if($1 == 1 && $2 == 1) { exit 1 } else exit 0 }'
 if [ $? == 0 ];  then
-    git add . *.pot *.po *.properties
+    head_ref=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+    if [[ $? -ne 0 || ! $head_ref ]]; then
+        echo "could not retrieve HEAD reference"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    branch_ref=$(git rev-parse "$TRAVIS_BRANCH")
+    if [[ $? -ne 0 || ! $branch_ref ]]; then
+        echo "could not retrieve $TRAVIS_BRANCH reference"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    if [[ $head_ref != $branch_ref ]]; then
+        echo "HEAD ref ($head_ref) does not match $TRAVIS_BRANCH ref ($branch_ref)"
+        echo "new commits have been added before this build cloned the repository"
+        exit 0
+    fi
+    if [[ $TRAVIS_BRANCH != master ]]; then
+        echo "will not push translation updates to branch $TRAVIS_BRANCH"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    git checkout master
+    git add *.pot *.po *.properties
     git commit --message "updated translations"
-    git push https://${GH_TOKEN}@github.com/PhoenicisOrg/Scripts.git > /dev/null 2>&1
+    if ! git push https://$GH_TOKEN@github.com/PhoenicisOrg/Scripts.git > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "could not push translation updates"
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi