diff --git a/build/translation-checker.php b/build/translation-checker.php
index 1f7ec343af..2c3a7856d8 100644
--- a/build/translation-checker.php
+++ b/build/translation-checker.php
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ foreach ($directories as $dir) {
 		$content = file_get_contents($file->getPathname());
 		$json = json_decode($content, true);
 
+		$translations = json_encode($json['translations']);
+		if (strpos($content, '|') !== false) {
+			$errors[] = $file->getPathname() . "\n" . '  ' . 'Contains a | in the translations' . "\n";
+		}
+
 		if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
 			$errors[] = $file->getPathname() . "\n" . '  ' . json_last_error_msg() . "\n";
 		} else {
diff --git a/lib/private/L10N/L10NString.php b/lib/private/L10N/L10NString.php
index 0eadadf9be..ae90f52a02 100644
--- a/lib/private/L10N/L10NString.php
+++ b/lib/private/L10N/L10NString.php
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ class L10NString implements \JsonSerializable {
 
 	public function __toString(): string {
 		$translations = $this->l10n->getTranslations();
+
+		$pipeCheck = implode('', $translations[$this->text]);
+		if (strpos($pipeCheck, '|') !== false) {
+			return 'Can not use pipe character in translations';
+		}
+
 		$identityTranslator = $this->l10n->getIdentityTranslator();
 
 		$parameters = $this->parameters;