diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index f7b60cef..8938b00a 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Bug fixes:
   * Fix incompatibility of Marathi with Beamer.
   * Correct \partname in Hindi (#416).
   * Updates and improvements to Kurdish (#418).
+  * Only activate shorthand character if babelshorthands is true (#421). 
 
 Interface and defaults changes:
 
diff --git a/tex/gloss-afrikaans.ldf b/tex/gloss-afrikaans.ldf
index 545ecd34..6ca38420 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-afrikaans.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-afrikaans.ldf
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 }
 
 \def\noextras@afrikaans{%
-  \noafrikaans@shorthands%
+  \ifafrikaans@babelshorthands\noafrikaans@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@afrikaans{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-belarusian.ldf b/tex/gloss-belarusian.ldf
index dad28a48..ca878974 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-belarusian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-belarusian.ldf
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
 
 \def\noextras@belarusian{%
    \ifcyrillic@numerals\nobelarusian@numbers\fi%
-   \nobelarusian@shorthands%
+   \ifbelarusian@babelshorthands\nobelarusian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@belarusian{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-catalan.ldf b/tex/gloss-catalan.ldf
index 02b5632d..42c57c6a 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-catalan.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-catalan.ldf
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@
     \space de~\number\year}}
 
 \def\noextras@catalan{%
-   \nocatalan@shorthands%
+   \ifcatalan@babelshorthands\nocatalan@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@catalan{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-croatian.ldf b/tex/gloss-croatian.ldf
index 1d7fe73f..4a698be9 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-croatian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-croatian.ldf
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
 }
 
 \def\noextras@croatian{%
-  \nocroatian@shorthands%
+  \ifcroatian@babelshorthands\nocroatian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@croatian{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-czech.ldf b/tex/gloss-czech.ldf
index afa8ef43..a9e37231 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-czech.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-czech.ldf
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 }
 
 \def\noextras@czech{%
-  \noczech@shorthands%
+  \ifczech@babelshorthands\noczech@shorthands\fi%
   \noczech@hyphens%
   \noczech@vlna%
   \ifxetex\XeTeXinterchartokenstate=0\fi%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-dutch.ldf b/tex/gloss-dutch.ldf
index 1ec5c0e2..4bc454b4 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-dutch.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-dutch.ldf
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 }
 
 \def\noextras@dutch{%
-  \nodutch@shorthands%
+  \ifdutch@babelshorthands\nodutch@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@dutch{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-finnish.ldf b/tex/gloss-finnish.ldf
index 1745b6f8..0537a038 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-finnish.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-finnish.ldf
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     \space\number\year}}
 
 \def\noextras@finnish{%
-  \nofinnish@shorthands%
+  \iffinnish@babelshorthands\nofinnish@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@finnish{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-georgian.ldf b/tex/gloss-georgian.ldf
index 1fa2091b..2bda95f1 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-georgian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-georgian.ldf
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@
 
 \def\noextras@georgian{%
    \ifgeorgian@numerals\nogeorgian@numbers\fi%
-   \nogeorgian@shorthands%
+   \ifgeorgian@babelshorthands\nogeorgian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@georgian{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-german.ldf b/tex/gloss-german.ldf
index 12147e1a..35e049b9 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-german.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-german.ldf
@@ -310,15 +310,15 @@
 }
 
 \def\noextras@german{%
-  \nogerman@shorthands%
+  \ifgerman@babelshorthands\nogerman@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@german{%
-  \ifgerman@babelshorthands\german@shorthands\fi
+  \ifgerman@babelshorthands\german@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\inlineextras@german{%
-  \ifgerman@babelshorthands\german@shorthands\fi
+  \ifgerman@babelshorthands\german@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \endinput
diff --git a/tex/gloss-italian.ldf b/tex/gloss-italian.ldf
index fb284be1..aea21a2f 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-italian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-italian.ldf
@@ -120,21 +120,21 @@
 
 
 \def\noextras@italian{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\z@
-   \noitalian@shorthands
-   \xpgit@savedvalues
+   \lccode\string"2019=\z@%
+   \ifitalian@babelshorthands\noitalian@shorthands\fi%
+   \xpgit@savedvalues%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@italian{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019
-   \clubpenalty=3000 \@clubpenalty=3000 \widowpenalty=3000
-   \finalhyphendemerits=50000000
-   \ifitalian@babelshorthands\italian@shorthands\fi
+   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019%
+   \clubpenalty=3000 \@clubpenalty=3000 \widowpenalty=3000%
+   \finalhyphendemerits=50000000%
+   \ifitalian@babelshorthands\italian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\inlineextras@italian{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019
-   \ifitalian@babelshorthands\italian@shorthands\fi
+   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019%
+   \ifitalian@babelshorthands\italian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 %%% CHANGES END %%%
 \endinput
diff --git a/tex/gloss-mongolian.ldf b/tex/gloss-mongolian.ldf
index 62b5ce7f..04a5f786 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-mongolian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-mongolian.ldf
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 
 \def\noextras@mongolian{%
    \ifcyrillic@numerals\nomongolian@numbers\fi%
-   \nomongolian@shorthands%
+   \ifmongolian@babelshorthands\nomongolian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@mongolian{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-occitan.ldf b/tex/gloss-occitan.ldf
index b494272b..08884434 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-occitan.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-occitan.ldf
@@ -140,20 +140,20 @@
     \finalhyphendemerits=\the\finalhyphendemerits}
 }
 \def\noextras@occitan{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\z@
-   \nooccitan@shorthands
-   \xpgoc@savedvalues
+   \lccode\string"2019=\z@%
+   \ifoccitan@babelshorthands\nooccitan@shorthands\fi%
+   \xpgoc@savedvalues%
 }
 \def\blockextras@occitan{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019
-   \clubpenalty=3000 \@clubpenalty=3000 \widowpenalty=3000
-   \finalhyphendemerits=50000000
-   \ifoccitan@babelshorthands\occitan@shorthands\fi
+   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019%
+   \clubpenalty=3000 \@clubpenalty=3000 \widowpenalty=3000%
+   \finalhyphendemerits=50000000%
+   \ifoccitan@babelshorthands\occitan@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\inlineextras@occitan{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019
-   \ifoccitan@babelshorthands\occitan@shorthands\fi
+   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019%
+   \ifoccitan@babelshorthands\occitan@shorthands\fi%
 }
 %% Distributable under the LaTeX Project Public License,
 %% version 1.3c or higher (your choice). The latest version of
diff --git a/tex/gloss-piedmontese.ldf b/tex/gloss-piedmontese.ldf
index 536ff648..61d5d7b1 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-piedmontese.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-piedmontese.ldf
@@ -99,21 +99,21 @@
 
 
 \def\noextras@piedmontese{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\z@
-   \nopiedmontese@shorthands
-   \xpgpms@savedvalues
+   \lccode\string"2019=\z@%
+   \ifpiedmontese@babelshorthands\nopiedmontese@shorthands\fi%
+   \xpgpms@savedvalues%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@piedmontese{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019
-   \clubpenalty=3000 \@clubpenalty=3000 \widowpenalty=3000
-   \finalhyphendemerits=50000000
-   \ifpiedmontese@babelshorthands\piedmontese@shorthands\fi
+   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019%
+   \clubpenalty=3000 \@clubpenalty=3000 \widowpenalty=3000%
+   \finalhyphendemerits=50000000%
+   \ifpiedmontese@babelshorthands\piedmontese@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\inlineextras@piedmontese{%
-   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019
-   \ifpiedmontese@babelshorthands\piedmontese@shorthands\fi
+   \lccode\string"2019=\string"2019%
+   \ifpiedmontese@babelshorthands\piedmontese@shorthands\fi%
 }
 %%% CHANGES END %%%
 \endinput
diff --git a/tex/gloss-russian.ldf b/tex/gloss-russian.ldf
index 60681c5d..5180f214 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-russian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-russian.ldf
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@
       \def\@seccntformat##1{\csname the##1\endcsname\quad}% = LaTeX kernel
    }%
    \ifcyrillic@numerals\norussian@numbers\fi%
-   \norussian@shorthands%
+   \ifrussian@babelshorthands\norussian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@russian{%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-slovak.ldf b/tex/gloss-slovak.ldf
index 51ca090f..4a6df5a7 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-slovak.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-slovak.ldf
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
 }
 
 \def\noextras@slovak{%
-  \noslovak@shorthands%
+  \ifslovak@babelshorthands\noslovak@shorthands\fi%
   \noslovak@hyphens%
   \noslovak@vlna%
   \ifxetex\XeTeXinterchartokenstate=0\fi%
diff --git a/tex/gloss-ukrainian.ldf b/tex/gloss-ukrainian.ldf
index 7b82a76c..d95270ed 100644
--- a/tex/gloss-ukrainian.ldf
+++ b/tex/gloss-ukrainian.ldf
@@ -235,13 +235,13 @@
 \def\noextras@ukrainian{%
   \def\@seccntformat##1{\csname the##1\endcsname\quad}% = LaTeX kernel
   \ifcyrillic@numerals\noukrainian@numbers\fi
-  \noukrainian@shorthands%
+  \ifukrainian@babelshorthands\noukrainian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\blockextras@ukrainian{%
   \ukrainian@capsformat%
-  \ifcyrillic@numerals\ukrainian@numbers\fi
-  \ifukrainian@babelshorthands\ukrainian@shorthands\fi
+  \ifcyrillic@numerals\ukrainian@numbers\fi%
+  \ifukrainian@babelshorthands\ukrainian@shorthands\fi%
 }
 
 \def\inlineextras@ukrainian{%