diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cab0ffcedb..ed52327581 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ tests/server_test_cases/.cache/
 .pytest_cache/
 .vscode/
 env/
+venv/
diff --git a/tools/server_tests b/tools/server_tests
index 40b45d665a..8139f9896c 100755
--- a/tools/server_tests
+++ b/tools/server_tests
@@ -30,9 +30,26 @@ pushd "$(dirname $0)" >/dev/null && source common.sh && popd >/dev/null
 # directory.
 cd "$(dirname $0)/.."
 
+# Parse arguments and set flags
+SKIP_UPDATE_TRANSLATIONS=false
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  shift
+  if [[ "${arg}" == "--skip_update_translations" ]]; then
+    SKIP_UPDATE_TRANSLATIONS=true
+    continue
+  fi
+  # All arguments other than "--skip_update_translations" remains intact
+  set -- "$@" "${arg}"
+done
+readonly SKIP_UPDATE_TRANSLATIONS
+
 echo
-echo "--- Updating translations"
-$TOOLS_DIR/update_messages
+if [[ "${SKIP_UPDATE_TRANSLATIONS}" == true ]]; then
+  echo "--- Skipped updating translations"
+else
+  echo "--- Updating translations"
+  "${TOOLS_DIR}"/update_messages
+fi
 
 echo
 echo "--- Running server tests"
diff --git a/tools/update_messages.py b/tools/update_messages.py
index f263e8740f..df239a69ba 100644
--- a/tools/update_messages.py
+++ b/tools/update_messages.py
@@ -189,4 +189,5 @@ def django_admin(*args):
 
     # Run compilemessages to generate all the .mo files.
     sys.stderr = open('/dev/null', 'w')  # suppress the listing of all files
-    django_admin('compilemessages')
+    django_admin('compilemessages',
+                 '--ignore=vendors')