diff --git a/src/i18n.tsx b/src/i18n.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca57a6ad7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/i18n.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,273 @@
+/*
+ This file is part of TALER
+ (C) 2016 GNUnet e.V.
+
+ TALER is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+ TALER is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+ WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
+ A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+ You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+ TALER; see the file COPYING.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>
+ */
+
+"use strict";
+
+document.addEventListener(
+  "DOMContentLoaded",
+  function () {
+    try {
+      document.body.lang = chrome.i18n.getUILanguage();
+    } catch (e) {
+      // chrome.* not available?
+    }
+  });
+
+declare var i18n: any;
+
+/**
+ * Information about the last two i18n results, used by plural()
+ * 2-element array, each element contains { stringFound: boolean, pluralValue: number }
+ */
+var i18nResult = [] as any;
+
+const JedModule: any = (window as any)["Jed"];
+var jed: any;
+
+
+class PluralNumber {
+  n: number;
+
+  constructor(n: number) {
+    this.n = n;
+  }
+
+  valueOf () {
+    return this.n;
+  }
+
+  toString () {
+    return this.n.toString();
+  }
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Initialize Jed
+ */
+function init () {
+  if ("object" === typeof jed) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if ("function" !== typeof JedModule) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (!(i18n.lang in i18n.strings)) {
+    i18n.lang = "en-US";
+    return;
+  }
+  jed = new JedModule(i18n.strings[i18n.lang]);
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Convert template strings to a msgid
+ */
+function toI18nString(strings: string[]) {
+  let str = "";
+  for (let i = 0; i < strings.length; i++) {
+    str += strings[i];
+    if (i < strings.length - 1) {
+      str += "%"+ (i+1) +"$s";
+    }
+  }
+  return str;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Use the first number in values to determine plural form
+ */
+function getPluralValue (values: any) {
+  let n = null;
+  for (let i = 0; i < values.length; i++) {
+    if ("number" === typeof values[i] || values[i] instanceof PluralNumber) {
+      if (null === n || values[i] instanceof PluralNumber) {
+        n = values[i].valueOf();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return (null === n) ? 1 : n;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Store information about the result of the last to i18n() or i18n.parts()
+ *
+ * @param i18nString   the string template as found in i18n.strings
+ * @param pluralValue  value returned by getPluralValue()
+ */
+function setI18nResult (i18nString: string, pluralValue: number) {
+  i18nResult[1] = i18nResult[0];
+  i18nResult[0] = {
+    stringFound: i18nString in i18n.strings[i18n.lang].locale_data[i18n.lang],
+    pluralValue: pluralValue
+  };
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Internationalize a string template with arbitrary serialized values.
+ */
+var i18n = (function i18n(strings: string[], ...values: any[]) {
+  init();
+  //console.log('i18n:', strings, values);
+  if ("object" !== typeof jed) {
+    // Fallback implementation in case i18n lib is not there
+    return String.raw(strings as any, ...values);
+  }
+
+  let str = toI18nString (strings);
+  let n = getPluralValue (values);
+  let tr = jed.translate(str).ifPlural(n, str).fetch(...values);
+
+  setI18nResult (str, n);
+  return tr;
+}) as any;
+
+try {
+  i18n.lang = chrome.i18n.getUILanguage();
+} catch (e) {
+  console.warn("i18n default language not available");
+}
+i18n.strings = {};
+
+
+/**
+ * Interpolate i18nized values with arbitrary objects.
+ * @return Array of strings/objects.
+ */
+i18n.parts = function(strings: string[], ...values: any[]) {
+  init();
+  if ("object" !== typeof jed) {
+    // Fallback implementation in case i18n lib is not there
+    let parts: string[] = [];
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < strings.length; i++) {
+      parts.push(strings[i]);
+      if (i < values.length) {
+        parts.push(values[i]);
+      }
+    }
+    return parts;
+  }
+
+  let str = toI18nString(strings);
+  let n = getPluralValue(values);
+  let tr = jed.ngettext(str, str, n).split(/%(\d+)\$s/);
+  let parts: string[] = [];
+  for (let i = 0; i < tr.length; i++) {
+    if (0 == i % 2) {
+      parts.push(tr[i]);
+    } else {
+      parts.push(values[parseInt(tr[i]) - 1]);
+    }
+  }
+
+  setI18nResult(str, n);
+  return parts;
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * Pluralize based on first numeric parameter in the template.
+ * @todo The plural argument is used for extraction by pogen.js
+ */
+i18n.plural = function (singular: any, plural: any) {
+  if (i18nResult[1].stringFound) { // string found in translation file?
+    // 'singular' has the correctly translated & pluralized text
+    return singular;
+  } else {
+    // return appropriate form based on value found in 'singular'
+    return (1 == i18nResult[1].pluralValue) ? singular : plural;
+  }
+};
+
+interface TranslateSwitchProps {
+  target: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return a number that is used to determine the plural form for a template.
+ */
+i18n.number = function (n : number) {
+  return new PluralNumber (n);
+};
+
+i18n.Translate = class extends React.Component<void,void> {
+  render(): JSX.Element {
+    return <div>{this.props.children}</div>;
+  }
+}
+
+i18n.TranslateSwitch = class extends React.Component<TranslateSwitchProps,void>{
+  render(): JSX.Element {
+    let singular;
+    let plural;
+    let children = this.props.children;
+    if (children) {
+      React.Children.forEach(children, (child: any) => {
+        if (child.type == i18n.TranslatePlural) {
+          plural = child;
+        }
+        if (child.type == i18n.TranslateSingular) {
+          singular = child;
+        }
+      }); 
+    }
+    if ((!singular) || (!plural)) {
+      console.error("translation not found");
+      return React.createElement("span", {}, ["translation not found"]);
+    }
+    if ("object" !== typeof jed) {
+      if (this.props.target == 1) {
+        return singular;
+      } else {
+        return plural;
+      }
+    } else {
+      let tr = jed.ngettext(str, str, n).split(/%(\d+)\$s/);
+      let parts: any[] = [];
+      if (this.props.target == 1) {
+        singular.props = null;
+        return singular
+      } else {
+        let parts: any[] = [];
+        return parts;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+interface TranslationProps {
+  /**
+   * Substitutions to do for the translation.
+   */
+  subst: {[n: number]: any};
+}
+
+i18n.TranslatePlural = class extends React.Component<TranslationProps,void>{
+  render(): JSX.Element {
+    return <div>{this.props.children}</div>;
+  }
+}
+
+i18n.TranslateSingular = class extends React.Component<TranslationProps,void>{
+  render(): JSX.Element {
+    return <div>{this.props.children}</div>;
+  }
+}
+