diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Dumper/PoFileDumper.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Dumper/PoFileDumper.php
index d957ab91a33b4..8ab589a94aff8 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Dumper/PoFileDumper.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Dumper/PoFileDumper.php
@@ -25,7 +25,13 @@ class PoFileDumper extends FileDumper
      */
     public function format(MessageCatalogue $messages, $domain = 'messages')
     {
-        $output = '';
+        $output = 'msgid ""'."\n";
+        $output .= 'msgstr ""'."\n";
+        $output .= '"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"'."\n";
+        $output .= '"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"'."\n";
+        $output .= '"Language: '.$messages->getLocale().'\n"'."\n";
+        $output .= "\n";
+
         $newLine = false;
         foreach ($messages->all($domain) as $source => $target) {
             if ($newLine) {
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Tests/fixtures/resources.po b/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Tests/fixtures/resources.po
index da0d5f46ae40f..ccfce6bb98d46 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Tests/fixtures/resources.po
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Translation/Tests/fixtures/resources.po
@@ -1,2 +1,8 @@
+msgid ""
+msgstr ""
+"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
+"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
+"Language: en\n"
+
 msgid "foo"
 msgstr "bar"
\ No newline at end of file