diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 26da4f3e43b..a84b02157d0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     "test-image": "node tasks/test_image.js",
     "test-image-gl2d": "node tasks/test_image.js gl2d_* --queue",
     "test-export": "node tasks/test_export.js",
-    "test-syntax": "node tasks/test_syntax.js && npm run find-strings",
+    "test-syntax": "node tasks/test_syntax.js && npm run find-strings -- --no-output",
     "test-bundle": "node tasks/test_bundle.js",
     "test": "npm run test-jasmine && npm run test-bundle && npm run test-image && npm run test-image-gl2d && npm run test-syntax && npm run lint",
     "start-test_dashboard": "node devtools/test_dashboard/server.js",
diff --git a/tasks/find_locale_strings.js b/tasks/find_locale_strings.js
index ff1da8552e3..ae3b3d5d214 100644
--- a/tasks/find_locale_strings.js
+++ b/tasks/find_locale_strings.js
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ var EXIT_CODE = 0;
 
 var localizeRE = /(^|[\.])(_|localize)$/;
 
+var noOutput = process.argv.indexOf('--no-output') !== -1;
+
 // main
 findLocaleStrings();
 
@@ -70,11 +72,16 @@ function findLocaleStrings() {
         }
 
         if(!EXIT_CODE) {
-            var strings = Object.keys(dict).sort().map(function(k) {
-                return k + spaces(maxLen - k.length) + '  // ' + dict[k];
-            }).join('\n');
-            common.writeFile(constants.pathToTranslationKeys, strings);
-            console.log('ok find_locale_strings');
+            if(noOutput) {
+                console.log('ok find_locale_strings - no output requested.');
+            }
+            else {
+                var strings = Object.keys(dict).sort().map(function(k) {
+                    return k + spaces(maxLen - k.length) + '  // ' + dict[k];
+                }).join('\n');
+                common.writeFile(constants.pathToTranslationKeys, strings);
+                console.log('ok find_locale_strings - wrote new key file.');
+            }
         }
     });
 }