diff --git a/levels/CMakeLists.txt b/levels/CMakeLists.txt
index 17e463b1..24e2e8b9 100644
--- a/levels/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/levels/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ find_program(PO4A po4a)
 
 if(PO4A)
 	add_custom_command(OUTPUT levels_i18n
-		COMMAND ./gen_levels_xml.sh
+		COMMAND ./gen_levels_xml.sh ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/
 		COMMAND touch ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/levels_i18n
 		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
 		COMMENT "Handle level instruction translations"
@@ -13,6 +13,5 @@ if(PO4A)
 	add_custom_target(translate_levels ALL DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/levels_i18n)
 endif()
 
-file(GLOB levelfiles "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/*.txt")
-list(REMOVE_ITEM levelfiles "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeLists.txt")
+file(GLOB levelfiles "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/*.txt")
 install(FILES ${levelfiles} DESTINATION ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR}/levels/)
diff --git a/levels/gen_levels_xml.sh b/levels/gen_levels_xml.sh
index 44a7c9af..b99206ad 100755
--- a/levels/gen_levels_xml.sh
+++ b/levels/gen_levels_xml.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 
 set -e
 
+outdir=$1
+
+if [ -z "$outdir" ] || [ "$outdir" = "." ] || [ ! -d $outdir ]; then
+	echo "No existing output directory provided; syntax is : $0 output_directory"
+	return 1;
+fi
+
 lang_short="E F" # P"
 lang_long="en fr" # pl"
 
@@ -31,6 +38,7 @@ fi
 for lang in $lang_short; do
 	dot=".";
 	langcode="";
+	src_dotlang=".$lang";
 	case $lang in
 		E) dot="";;
 		F) langcode=fr;;
@@ -42,7 +50,7 @@ for lang in $lang_short; do
 	echo "<h1><!-- Level: $levelfile --></h1>" >> $allsfile
 	for key in Title Resume ScriptName; do
 		for subkey in text resume; do
-			subval=$(grep "^$key.$lang.*$subkey" $levelfileorig | sed -e "s/^.*$subkey=\"\([^\"]*\)\".*$/\1/")
+			subval=$(grep "^$key$src_dotlang.*$subkey" $levelfileorig | sed -e "s/^.*$subkey=\"\([^\"]*\)\".*$/\1/")
 			# Always write entries, even when empty, otherwise breaks po4a-gettextize
 			echo "<${key}_$subkey>$levelfile:$subval</${key}_$subkey>" >> $destfile
 			echo "<p type=\"$key $subkey\">$levelfile:$subval</p>" >> $allsfile
@@ -114,9 +122,9 @@ echo -n "* Inject translation in level files: "
 
 for levelfile in $(ls *.txt); do
 	rootfilename=$(echo $levelfile | sed 's/\.txt$//g')
-	mv $levelfile $levelfile.old
 	for lang in $lang_long; do
 		dotlang=".$lang"
+		langcode="";
 		case $lang in
 			en) dotlang=""; langcode=".E";;
 			fr) langcode=".F";;
@@ -134,13 +142,12 @@ for levelfile in $(ls *.txt); do
 					fi
 				done
 				if [ -n "$lineend" ]; then
-					echo "$key$langcode$lineend" >> $levelfile
+					echo "$key$langcode$lineend" >> $outdir/$levelfile
 				fi
 			done
 		fi
 	done
-	sed -e '/^Title/d;/^Resume/d;/^ScriptName/d' $levelfile.old >> $levelfile
-	rm $levelfile.old
+	sed -e '/^Title/d;/^Resume/d;/^ScriptName/d' $levelfile >> $outdir/$levelfile
 done
 
 echo "done."