diff --git a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
index 21f6b311ce..5829dc9011 100644
--- a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
+++ b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
@@ -455,6 +455,11 @@ sc_prohibit_diagnostic_without_format:
 	  { echo 'found diagnostic without %' 1>&2; \
 	    exit 1; } || :
 
+sc_require_permutable_format_in_translation:
+	@prohibit='\<N?_ *\("[^"]*%[^%$$ ]*[a-zA-Z][^"]*"' \
+	halt='non-permutable format string(s)' \
+	  $(_sc_search_regexp)
+
 # The strings "" and "%s" should never be marked for translation.
 # Files under tests/ and examples/ should not be translated.
 sc_prohibit_useless_translation:
diff --git a/po/meson.build b/po/meson.build
index fbfdc2d08d..a20877ad34 100644
--- a/po/meson.build
+++ b/po/meson.build
@@ -25,3 +25,11 @@ potfiles_dep = [
 ]
 
 alias_target('libvirt-pot-dep', potfiles_dep)
+
+run_target(
+  'libvirt-pot-check',
+  command: [
+    '@0@/scripts/check-pot.py'.format(meson.project_source_root()),
+    '@0@/po/libvirt.pot'.format(meson.project_source_root())
+  ],
+)
diff --git a/scripts/check-pot.py b/scripts/check-pot.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f6b4fbf36d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-pot.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import sys
+import re
+
+if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+    print(f"usage: {sys.argv[0]} POTFILE", file=sys.stderr)
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+potfile = sys.argv[1]
+
+failed = 0
+
+
+def print_msg(files, msgs):
+    if len(msgs) == 0:
+        return
+
+    print("\n".join(files))
+
+    for m in msgs:
+        print(f"  {m}")
+
+    global failed
+    failed += 1
+
+
+with open(potfile, "r") as pot:
+    files = []
+    msgs = []
+    cFormat = False
+
+    for line in pot:
+        if not line or line.startswith("msgstr "):
+            print_msg(files, msgs)
+            files = []
+            msgs = []
+            cFormat = False
+            continue
+
+        if line.startswith("#: "):
+            files.extend(line[3:].split())
+            continue
+
+        if line.startswith("#,"):
+            cFormat = " c-format" in line
+            continue
+
+        m = re.search(r'^(msgid )?"(.*%[^%$ ]*[a-zA-Z].*)"', line)
+        if cFormat and m is not None:
+            msgs.append(m.group(2))
+
+if failed:
+    print(f"Found {failed} messages without permutable format strings!",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    sys.exit(1)