diff --git a/tools/validate_translations.py b/tools/validate_translations.py
index 0136f83ab..dd4545566 100755
--- a/tools/validate_translations.py
+++ b/tools/validate_translations.py
@@ -6,17 +6,52 @@ from glob import glob
 import polib
 
 
+def extractFmtFields(text):
+	"""Parse fmt-style replacement fields, mirroring fmt's own escaping rules
+	("{{" and "}}" are literal braces). Returns None if a brace is unmatched
+	or unescaped, which fmt::format would reject at runtime with a
+	format_error (crash)."""
+	fields = []
+	i = 0
+	n = len(text)
+	while i < n:
+		c = text[i]
+		if c == '{':
+			if i + 1 < n and text[i + 1] == '{':
+				i += 2
+				continue
+			end = text.find('}', i)
+			if end == -1:
+				return None
+			fields.append(text[i:end + 1])
+			i = end + 1
+		elif c == '}':
+			if i + 1 < n and text[i + 1] == '}':
+				i += 2
+				continue
+			return None
+		else:
+			i += 1
+	return fields
+
+
 def validateEntry(original, translation):
 	if translation == '':
 		return True
 
 	# Find fmt arguments in source message
-	src_arguments = re.findall(r"{.*?}", original)
+	src_arguments = extractFmtFields(original)
+	if src_arguments is None:
+		print(f"\033[31mMalformed format string in source message: {original}\033[0m")
+		return False
 	if not src_arguments:
 		return True
 
 	# Find fmt arguments in translation
-	translated_arguments = re.findall(r"{.*?}", translation)
+	translated_arguments = extractFmtFields(translation)
+	if translated_arguments is None:
+		print(f"\033[36m{original}\033[0m has an unmatched/unescaped brace in \033[31m{translation}\033[0m")
+		return False
 
 	# If paramteres are untyped with order, sort so that they still appear equal if reordered
 	# Note: This does no hadle cases where the translator reordered arguments where not expected