diff --git a/src/monstergenerator.cpp b/src/monstergenerator.cpp
index 76d7efb32e10f..7fc39dfbb71ab 100644
--- a/src/monstergenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/monstergenerator.cpp
@@ -888,8 +888,7 @@ void MonsterGenerator::load_species( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &sr
 void species_type::load( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string & )
 {
     optional( jo, was_loaded, "description", description );
-    optional( jo, was_loaded, "footsteps", footsteps, "footsteps." );
-    footsteps = _( footsteps );
+    optional( jo, was_loaded, "footsteps", footsteps, to_translation( "footsteps." ) );
     const auto flag_reader = enum_flags_reader<m_flag> { "monster flag" };
     optional( jo, was_loaded, "flags", flags, flag_reader );
 
diff --git a/src/monstergenerator.h b/src/monstergenerator.h
index ac00ab8bd5866..c946be24f1af2 100644
--- a/src/monstergenerator.h
+++ b/src/monstergenerator.h
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ struct species_type {
     species_id id;
     bool was_loaded = false;
     translation description;
-    std::string footsteps;
+    translation footsteps;
     enum_bitset<m_flag> flags;
     enum_bitset<mon_trigger> anger;
     enum_bitset<mon_trigger> fear;
     enum_bitset<mon_trigger> placate;
     std::string get_footsteps() const {
-        return footsteps;
+        return footsteps.translated();
     }
 
     species_type(): id( species_id::NULL_ID() ) {
diff --git a/src/mtype.cpp b/src/mtype.cpp
index b606a67b57fdf..a312e5e2d2a19 100644
--- a/src/mtype.cpp
+++ b/src/mtype.cpp
@@ -234,5 +234,5 @@ std::string mtype::get_footsteps() const
     for( const species_id &s : species ) {
         return s.obj().get_footsteps();
     }
-    return "footsteps.";
+    return _( "footsteps." );
 }