diff --git a/zerver/lib/i18n.py b/zerver/lib/i18n.py
index 9c6d33c0a1..8587733915 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/i18n.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/i18n.py
@@ -7,21 +7,8 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, List
 
 import orjson
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.utils import translation
-from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 
 
-def with_language(string: str, language: str) -> str:
-    """
-    This is an expensive function. If you are using it in a loop, it will
-    make your code slow.
-    """
-    old_language = translation.get_language()
-    translation.activate(language)
-    result = _(string)
-    translation.activate(old_language)
-    return result
-
 @lru_cache()
 def get_language_list() -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
     path = os.path.join(settings.DEPLOY_ROOT, 'locale', 'language_name_map.json')
diff --git a/zerver/management/commands/compilemessages.py b/zerver/management/commands/compilemessages.py
index f1de927330..e705689447 100644
--- a/zerver/management/commands/compilemessages.py
+++ b/zerver/management/commands/compilemessages.py
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.conf.locale import LANG_INFO
 from django.core.management.base import CommandParser
 from django.core.management.commands import compilemessages
+from django.utils.translation import override as override_language
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from django.utils.translation.trans_real import to_language
 
-from zerver.lib.i18n import with_language
-
 
 class Command(compilemessages.Command):
 
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ class Command(compilemessages.Command):
                 # Fallback to getting the name from PO file.
                 filename = self.get_po_filename(locale_path, locale)
                 name = self.get_name_from_po_file(filename, locale)
-                name_local = with_language(name, code)
+                with override_language(code):
+                    name_local = _(name)
 
             info['name'] = name
             info['name_local'] = name_local