diff --git a/bin/dev_scripts/update-localization-files b/bin/dev_scripts/update-localization-files
index 37c62152ee..6b2193d97f 100755
--- a/bin/dev_scripts/update-localization-files
+++ b/bin/dev_scripts/update-localization-files
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ do
 	esac
 done
 
-if [ -z "$WEBWORK_ROOT" ] || [ -z "$PG_ROOT" ]; then
-    echo >&2 "You need to set both the WEBWORK_ROOT and PG_ROOT environment variables.  Aborting."
+if [ -z "$WEBWORK_ROOT" ]; then
+    echo >&2 "You need to set the WEBWORK_ROOT environment variable.  Aborting."
     exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ LOCDIR=$WEBWORK_ROOT/lib/WeBWorK/Localize
 
 cd $LOCDIR
 
-echo "Updating $WEBWORK_ROOT/webwork2.pot"
+echo "Updating $LOCDIR/webwork2.pot"
 
-xgettext.pl -o webwork2.pot -D $WEBWORK_ROOT/lib -D $PG_ROOT/lib -D $PG_ROOT/macros -D $WEBWORK_ROOT/templates \
+xgettext.pl -o webwork2.pot -D $WEBWORK_ROOT/lib -D $WEBWORK_ROOT/templates \
 	$WEBWORK_ROOT/conf/defaults.config $WEBWORK_ROOT/conf/LTIConfigValues.config
 
 if $UPDATE_PO; then
diff --git a/conf/defaults.config b/conf/defaults.config
index 5c9cb4b210..9ca7323842 100644
--- a/conf/defaults.config
+++ b/conf/defaults.config
@@ -1258,7 +1258,7 @@ ${pg}{modules} = [
 	[qw(Applet MIME::Base64)],
 	[qw(PGcore PGalias PGresource PGloadfiles PGanswergroup PGresponsegroup Tie::IxHash)],
 	[qw(Locale::Maketext)],
-	[qw(WeBWorK::Localize)],
+	[qw(WeBWorK::PG::Localize)],
 	[qw(JSON)],
 	[qw(Rserve Class::Tiny IO::Handle)],
 	[qw(DragNDrop)],
diff --git a/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm b/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm
index fad943e9de..dd0a53f8e1 100644
--- a/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm
+++ b/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm
@@ -1,70 +1,49 @@
 package WeBWorK::Localize;
+use parent 'Locale::Maketext';
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
 
 use File::Spec;
-use Locale::Maketext;
 use Locale::Maketext::Lexicon;
 
 use WeBWorK::Utils qw(x);
 
-my $path     = "$ENV{WEBWORK_ROOT}/lib/WeBWorK/Localize";
-my $pattern  = File::Spec->catfile($path, '*.[pm]o');
-my $decode   = 1;
-my $encoding = undef;
-
-# For some reason this next stanza needs to be evaluated
-# separately.  I'm not sure why it can't be
-# directly entered into the code.
-# This code was cribbed from Locale::Maketext::Simple if I remember correctly
-#
-
-eval "
-	package WeBWorK::Localize::I18N;
-	use base 'Locale::Maketext';
-    %WeBWorK::Localize::I18N::Lexicon = ( '_AUTO' => 1 );
-	Locale::Maketext::Lexicon->import({
-	    'i-default' => [ 'Auto' ],
-	    '*'	=> [ Gettext => \$pattern ],
-	    _decode => \$decode,
-	    _encoding => \$encoding,
-	});
-	*tense = sub { \$_[1] . ((\$_[2] eq 'present') ? 'ing' : 'ed') };
-
-" or die "Can't process eval in WeBWorK/Localize.pm: line 35:  " . $@;
-
-package WeBWorK::Localize;
+Locale::Maketext::Lexicon->import({
+	'i-default' => ['Auto'],
+	'*'         => [ Gettext => File::Spec->catfile("$ENV{WEBWORK_ROOT}/lib/WeBWorK/Localize", '*.[pm]o') ],
+	_decode     => 1,
+	_encoding   => undef,
+});
+*tense = sub { \$_[1] . ((\$_[2] eq 'present') ? 'ing' : 'ed') };
 
-# This subroutine is shared with the safe compartment in PG to
-# allow maketext() to be constructed in PG problems and macros
-# It seems to be a little fragile -- possibly it breaks
-# on perl 5.8.8
+# This subroutine is used to pass a language handle to job queue tasks
+# so that tasks can use maketext.
 sub getLoc {
 	my $lang = shift;
-	my $lh   = WeBWorK::Localize::I18N->get_handle($lang);
+	my $lh   = WeBWorK::Localize->get_handle($lang);
 	return sub { $lh->maketext(@_) };
 }
 
 sub getLangHandle {
 	my $lang = shift;
-	my $lh   = WeBWorK::Localize::I18N->get_handle($lang);
-	return $lh;
+	return WeBWorK::Localize->get_handle($lang);
 }
 
-# this is like [quant] but it doesn't write the number
+# This is like [quant] but it doesn't write the number.
 #  usage: [quant,_1,<singular>,<plural>,<optional zero>]
-
 sub plural {
 	my ($handle, $num, @forms) = @_;
 
 	return ''        if @forms == 0;
-	return $forms[2] if @forms > 2 and $num == 0;
+	return $forms[2] if @forms > 2 && $num == 0;
 
 	# Normal case:
-	return ($handle->numerate($num, @forms));
+	return $handle->numerate($num, @forms);
 }
 
-# this is like [quant] but it also has -1 case
-#  usage: [negquant,_1,<neg case>,<singular>,<plural>,<optional zero>]
-
+# This is like [quant] but it also has a negative case. (The one usage in the code interprets this as unlimited.)
+#  usage: [negquant,_1,<negative case>,<singular>,<plural>,<optional zero>]
 sub negquant {
 	my ($handle, $num, @forms) = @_;
 
@@ -73,12 +52,11 @@ sub negquant {
 	my $negcase = shift @forms;
 	return $negcase if $num < 0;
 
-	return $forms[2] if @forms > 2 and $num == 0;
-	return ($handle->numf($num) . ' ' . $handle->numerate($num, @forms));
+	return $forms[2] if @forms > 2 && $num == 0;
+	return $handle->numf($num) . ' ' . $handle->numerate($num, @forms);
 }
 
-# we use x to mark the strings for translation
-%Lexicon = (
+our %Lexicon = (
 	'_AUTO' => 1,
 
 	'_ONE_COLUMN' => x('One Column'),
@@ -93,7 +71,4 @@ sub negquant {
 	'_STATUS' => [ x('Enrolled'), x('Audit'), x('Drop'), x('Proctor') ],
 );
 
-package WeBWorK::Localize::I18N;
-use base(WeBWorK::Localize);
-
 1;
diff --git a/lib/WeBWorK/Utils/Rendering.pm b/lib/WeBWorK/Utils/Rendering.pm
index b80c6c96c4..1bb7fa2d76 100644
--- a/lib/WeBWorK/Utils/Rendering.pm
+++ b/lib/WeBWorK/Utils/Rendering.pm
@@ -122,8 +122,7 @@ sub constructPGOptions ($ce, $user, $set, $problem, $psvn, $formFields, $transla
 	$options{PERSISTENCE_HASH} = decode_json($problem->problem_data || '{}');
 
 	# Language
-	$options{language}            = $ce->{language};
-	$options{language_subroutine} = WeBWorK::Localize::getLoc($options{language});
+	$options{language} = $ce->{language};
 
 	# Student and course Information
 	$options{courseName}       = $ce->{courseName};