diff --git a/docs/plugins/internationalization.md b/docs/plugins/internationalization.md
index f1d5d8a81d..0c62058e5a 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/internationalization.md
+++ b/docs/plugins/internationalization.md
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ const app = createApp({
 
 #### Custom file patterns
 
-By default, message files use the pattern `{id}.{lang}.json` (e.g. `catalog.en.json`). You can change this with the `--pattern` option:
+By default, message files use the pattern `messages/{id}.{lang}.json` (e.g. `messages/catalog.en.json`). You can change this with the `--pattern` option:
 
 ```bash
 yarn backstage-cli translations export --pattern '{lang}/{id}.json'
@@ -391,8 +391,8 @@ yarn backstage-cli translations export --pattern '{lang}/{id}.json'
 This produces a directory structure grouped by language instead:
 
 ```text
-translations/messages/en/catalog.json
-translations/messages/zh/catalog.json
+translations/en/catalog.json
+translations/zh/catalog.json
 ```
 
 The pattern is stored in the manifest, so the `import` command automatically uses the same layout.
diff --git a/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md b/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md
index efdf197113..44b9058f19 100644
--- a/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md
+++ b/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md
@@ -447,8 +447,9 @@ Usage: backstage-cli translations export [options]
 
 Options:
   --output <dir>       Output directory for exported messages and manifest (default: "translations")
-  --pattern <pattern>  File path pattern for message files, with {id} and {lang}
-                       placeholders (default: "{id}.{lang}.json")
+  --pattern <pattern>  File path pattern for message files relative to the output
+                       directory, with {id} and {lang} placeholders
+                       (default: "messages/{id}.{lang}.json")
   -h, --help           display help for command
 ```
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/export.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/export.ts
index ca8bd2c60b..cf6630ae39 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/export.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/export.ts
@@ -39,12 +39,8 @@ export default async (options: ExportOptions) => {
     paths.targetRoot,
   );
 
-  const messagesDir = resolvePath(paths.targetDir, options.output, 'messages');
-  const manifestPath = resolvePath(
-    paths.targetDir,
-    options.output,
-    'manifest.json',
-  );
+  const outputDir = resolvePath(paths.targetDir, options.output);
+  const manifestPath = resolvePath(outputDir, 'manifest.json');
 
   const tsconfigPath = paths.resolveTargetRoot('tsconfig.json');
   if (!(await fs.pathExists(tsconfigPath))) {
@@ -104,7 +100,7 @@ export default async (options: ExportOptions) => {
       ref.id,
       DEFAULT_LANGUAGE,
     );
-    const filePath = resolvePath(messagesDir, relPath);
+    const filePath = resolvePath(outputDir, relPath);
     await fs.ensureDir(dirname(filePath));
     await fs.writeJson(filePath, ref.messages, { spaces: 2 });
   }
@@ -132,6 +128,6 @@ export default async (options: ExportOptions) => {
   console.log(
     `\nExported ${allRefs.length} translation ref(s) to ${options.output}/`,
   );
-  console.log(`  Messages: ${options.output}/messages/${examplePath}`);
+  console.log(`  Messages: ${options.output}/${examplePath}`);
   console.log(`  Manifest: ${options.output}/manifest.json`);
 };
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/import.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/import.ts
index 35b554ce30..cab2030d1f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/import.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/commands/import.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ export default async (options: ImportOptions) => {
   await readTargetPackage(paths.targetDir, paths.targetRoot);
 
   const inputDir = resolvePath(paths.targetDir, options.input);
-  const messagesDir = resolvePath(inputDir, 'messages');
   const manifestPath = resolvePath(inputDir, 'manifest.json');
   const outputPath = resolvePath(paths.targetDir, options.output);
 
@@ -59,13 +58,6 @@ export default async (options: ImportOptions) => {
     );
   }
 
-  if (!(await fs.pathExists(messagesDir))) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `No messages directory found at ${messagesDir}. ` +
-        'Run "backstage-cli translations export" first.',
-    );
-  }
-
   const manifest: Manifest = await fs.readJson(manifestPath);
 
   if (!manifest.pattern) {
@@ -77,8 +69,10 @@ export default async (options: ImportOptions) => {
 
   const parsePath = createMessagePathParser(pattern);
 
-  // Discover all JSON files under the messages directory
-  const allFiles = await collectJsonFiles(messagesDir);
+  // Discover all JSON files under the translations directory
+  const allFiles = (await collectJsonFiles(inputDir)).filter(
+    f => f !== 'manifest.json',
+  );
 
   // Parse each file to extract id + lang, filtering out default language files
   const translationsByRef = new Map<
@@ -120,7 +114,7 @@ export default async (options: ImportOptions) => {
     console.log('No translated message files found.');
     const example = formatMessagePath(pattern, '<ref-id>', 'sv');
     console.log(
-      `Add translated files as messages/${example} in the translations directory.`,
+      `Add translated files as ${example} in the translations directory.`,
     );
     return;
   }
@@ -150,7 +144,7 @@ export default async (options: ImportOptions) => {
         const jsonRelPath = posixPath.normalize(
           relativePath(
             resolvePath(outputPath, '..'),
-            resolvePath(messagesDir, relPath),
+            resolvePath(inputDir, relPath),
           ),
         );
         return `    ${JSON.stringify(lang)}: () => import('./${jsonRelPath}'),`;
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.test.ts
index 6a6f3a8873..4c276e114c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.test.ts
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ describe('messageFilePath', () => {
   describe('formatMessagePath', () => {
     it('formats the default pattern', () => {
       expect(formatMessagePath(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN, 'org', 'en')).toBe(
-        'org.en.json',
+        'messages/org.en.json',
       );
     });
 
     it('formats with a different language', () => {
       expect(formatMessagePath(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN, 'catalog', 'sv')).toBe(
-        'catalog.sv.json',
+        'messages/catalog.sv.json',
       );
     });
 
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ describe('messageFilePath', () => {
   describe('createMessagePathParser', () => {
     it('parses the default pattern', () => {
       const parse = createMessagePathParser(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN);
-      expect(parse('org.en.json')).toEqual({ id: 'org', lang: 'en' });
+      expect(parse('messages/org.en.json')).toEqual({ id: 'org', lang: 'en' });
     });
 
     it('parses dotted ref IDs in the default pattern', () => {
       const parse = createMessagePathParser(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN);
-      expect(parse('plugin.notifications.sv.json')).toEqual({
+      expect(parse('messages/plugin.notifications.sv.json')).toEqual({
         id: 'plugin.notifications',
         lang: 'sv',
       });
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe('messageFilePath', () => {
     it('returns undefined for non-matching paths', () => {
       const parse = createMessagePathParser(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN);
       expect(parse('not-a-match.txt')).toBeUndefined();
-      expect(parse('dir/org.en.json')).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(parse('other/org.en.json')).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
     it('returns undefined for invalid language code', () => {
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ describe('messageFilePath', () => {
 
   describe('messagePatternToGlob', () => {
     it('converts the default pattern', () => {
-      expect(messagePatternToGlob(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN)).toBe('*.*.json');
+      expect(messagePatternToGlob(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN)).toBe(
+        'messages/*.*.json',
+      );
     });
 
     it('converts a language-directory pattern', () => {
@@ -109,8 +111,8 @@ describe('messageFilePath', () => {
   });
 
   describe('patternHasSubdirectories', () => {
-    it('returns false for flat patterns', () => {
-      expect(patternHasSubdirectories(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN)).toBe(false);
+    it('returns true for the default pattern', () => {
+      expect(patternHasSubdirectories(DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN)).toBe(true);
     });
 
     it('returns true for patterns with directories', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.ts
index 5f84c1ad13..0eb2547759 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/translations/lib/messageFilePath.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 // The default language for exported translation messages.
 export const DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = 'en';
 
-// Default file path pattern for translation message files.
-// Supported placeholders: {id} (ref ID) and {lang} (language code).
-export const DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN = '{id}.{lang}.json';
+// Default file path pattern for translation message files relative to the
+// translations directory. Supported placeholders: {id} and {lang}.
+export const DEFAULT_MESSAGE_PATTERN = 'messages/{id}.{lang}.json';
 
 /** Formats a message file pattern into a concrete relative path. */
 export function formatMessagePath(