diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_translation_parser.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_translation_parser.ts
index 7a3ce58738..30115f30ad 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_translation_parser.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_translation_parser.ts
@@ -23,13 +23,21 @@ import {ParsedTranslationBundle, TranslationParser} from './translation_parser';
  * }
  * ```
  */
-export class SimpleJsonTranslationParser implements TranslationParser {
-  canParse(filePath: string, _contents: string): boolean {
-    return (extname(filePath) === '.json');
+export class SimpleJsonTranslationParser implements TranslationParser<Object> {
+  canParse(filePath: string, contents: string): Object|false {
+    if (extname(filePath) !== '.json') {
+      return false;
+    }
+    try {
+      const json = JSON.parse(contents);
+      return (typeof json.locale === 'string' && typeof json.translations === 'object') && json;
+    } catch {
+      return false;
+    }
   }
 
-  parse(_filePath: string, contents: string): ParsedTranslationBundle {
-    const {locale: parsedLocale, translations} = JSON.parse(contents);
+  parse(_filePath: string, contents: string, json?: Object): ParsedTranslationBundle {
+    const {locale: parsedLocale, translations} = json || JSON.parse(contents);
     const parsedTranslations: Record<ɵMessageId, ɵParsedTranslation> = {};
     for (const messageId in translations) {
       const targetMessage = translations[messageId];
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_spec.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_spec.ts
index 3607fb413b..2f3276f95c 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/translation_files/translation_parsers/simple_json_spec.ts
@@ -10,11 +10,16 @@ import {SimpleJsonTranslationParser} from '../../../../src/translate/translation
 
 describe('SimpleJsonTranslationParser', () => {
   describe('canParse()', () => {
-    it('should return true if the file extension  is `.json`', () => {
-      const parser = new SimpleJsonTranslationParser();
-      expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.xlf', '')).toBe(false);
-      expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.json', '')).toBe(true);
-    });
+    it('should return true if the file extension  is `.json` and contains top level `locale` and `translations` properties',
+       () => {
+         const parser = new SimpleJsonTranslationParser();
+         expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.xlf', '')).toBe(false);
+         expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.json', '{}')).toBe(false);
+         expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.json', '{ "translations" : {} }')).toBe(false);
+         expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.json', '{ "locale" : "fr" }')).toBe(false);
+         expect(parser.canParse('/some/file.json', '{ "locale" : "fr", "translations" : {}}'))
+             .toBeTruthy();
+       });
   });
 
   describe('parse()', () => {