diff --git a/scripts/docs-i18n/localized_links.go b/scripts/docs-i18n/localized_links.go
index 76037009dcd..d7845c4451a 100644
--- a/scripts/docs-i18n/localized_links.go
+++ b/scripts/docs-i18n/localized_links.go
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ func discoverLocalePrefixes(docsRoot string) (map[string]struct{}, error) {
 		if !localeDirRe.MatchString(name) {
 			continue
 		}
+		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(docsRoot, name, ".i18n", "README.md")); err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
 		locales[name] = struct{}{}
 	}
 	return locales, nil
diff --git a/scripts/docs-i18n/relocalize_test.go b/scripts/docs-i18n/relocalize_test.go
index 7c0fd821120..be78e49ce53 100644
--- a/scripts/docs-i18n/relocalize_test.go
+++ b/scripts/docs-i18n/relocalize_test.go
@@ -112,6 +112,47 @@ func TestPostprocessLocalizedDocsRewritesPublishedPageLinksForEachLocale(t *test
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPostprocessLocalizedDocsDoesNotTreatThreeLetterSourceDirsAsLocales(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	docsRoot := t.TempDir()
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "docs.json"), `{"redirects":[]}`)
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "cli", "index.md"), "# CLI\n")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "cli", "AGENTS.md"), "# CLI docs guide\n")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "web", "index.md"), "# Web\n")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "zh-CN", "AGENTS.md"), "# zh-CN\n")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "zh-CN", ".i18n", "README.md"), "# zh-CN i18n\n")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "zh-CN", "cli", "index.md"), "# CLI 本地化\n")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(docsRoot, "zh-CN", "web", "index.md"), "# Web 本地化\n")
+
+	pagePath := filepath.Join(docsRoot, "zh-CN", "gateway", "index.md")
+	writeFile(t, pagePath, stringsJoin(
+		"---",
+		"title: 网关",
+		"x-i18n:",
+		"  source_hash: test",
+		"---",
+		"",
+		"See [CLI](/cli).",
+		"",
+		"See [Web](/web).",
+	))
+
+	if err := postprocessLocalizedDocs(docsRoot, "zh-CN", []string{pagePath}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("postprocessLocalizedDocs failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	got := mustReadFile(t, pagePath)
+	for _, want := range []string{
+		"See [CLI](/zh-CN/cli).",
+		"See [Web](/zh-CN/web).",
+	} {
+		if !containsLine(got, want) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected rewritten link %q in output:\n%s", want, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPostprocessLocalizedDocsOnlyTouchesScopedFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()