diff --git a/src/Tools/updatets.py b/src/Tools/updatets.py
index 0c344e6f1f..97e14cff1f 100755
--- a/src/Tools/updatets.py
+++ b/src/Tools/updatets.py
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ def update_translation(entry):
     tsBasename = os.path.join(entry["tsdir"],entry["tsname"])
 
     execline = []
+    execline.append (f"touch dummy_cpp_file_for_lupdate.cpp") #lupdate requires at least one source file to process the UI files
     execline.append (f"{QMAKE} -project -o {project_filename}")
     execline.append (f"sed 's/<translation.*>.*<\/translation>/<translation type=\"unfinished\"><\/translation>/g' {tsBasename}.ts > {tsBasename}.ts.temp")
     execline.append (f"touch {tsBasename}.ts") # In case it didn't get created above
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ def update_translation(entry):
     execline.append (f"{PYLUPDATE} `find ./ -name \"*.py\"` -ts {tsBasename}py.ts {log_redirect}")
     execline.append (f"{LCONVERT} -i {tsBasename}py.ts {tsBasename}.ts -o {tsBasename}.ts {log_redirect}")
     execline.append (f"rm {tsBasename}py.ts")
+    execline.append (f"rm dummy_cpp_file_for_lupdate.cpp")
     print(f"Executing special commands in {entry['workingdir']}:")
     for line in execline:
         print (line)