diff --git a/tools/updatelang b/tools/updatelang
index b2d8c9028f..a05011e645 100755
--- a/tools/updatelang
+++ b/tools/updatelang
@@ -466,7 +466,8 @@ foreach my $id (@langorder) {
 	} elsif ($lp{$tgt} ne 'none' && $lp{$tgt} ne '' && not_ignorelist($id) && !$lang{$id}{'new'} && !$ignoredups) {
 #	    print "#!! '$id:$tgt' voice identical ('$lp{$tgt}')\n";
 	    if ($lang{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt} ne '' &&
-		$lang{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt} ne $english{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt}) {
+		$lang{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt} ne $english{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt} &&
+		$lang{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt} ne "~$english{$id}{dest}{$tgt}") {
 		$lang{$id}{'notes'} .= "### The <voice> section for '$id:$tgt' is identical to english, copying translated <dest>\n";
 		    $lang{$id}{'voice'}{$tgt} = $lang{$id}{'dest'}{$tgt};
 	    } else {