diff --git a/pagerite/translate.py b/pagerite/translate.py
index 4e28883..ab3648c 100644
--- a/pagerite/translate.py
+++ b/pagerite/translate.py
@@ -309,6 +309,15 @@ def pending_items(data: Data, lang: str) -> list[TransItem]:
             walk(node.children, path, node_lang)
 
     walk(data.menu, "", i18n.ORIGINAL_LANGUAGE)
+    # Site-level messaging strings (Data.contact_label/contact_subject):
+    # translated like titles and looked up at render time by chunk key
+    # (i18n.site_string) — the EFFECTIVE label, so the built-in default
+    # localizes too. Skipped in the site default language, like titles in
+    # their article's primary language.
+    if data.contact_enabled and lang != i18n.primary_lang(data.menu, ""):
+        for text in (data.contact_label or "Contact us", data.contact_subject):
+            if text and "\n" not in text:
+                emit(chunk_key(text), text, "", "title")
     return items
 
 
@@ -536,6 +545,19 @@ class Dispatcher:
                 walk(node.children, depth + 1, node_lang)
 
         walk(self.data.menu, 0, i18n.ORIGINAL_LANGUAGE)
+        # The site-level messaging strings ride the same list (pending_items
+        # covers them for scoped jobs): one round trip names the menu and
+        # the contact chrome alike.
+        if self.data.contact_enabled and lang != i18n.primary_lang(self.data.menu, ""):
+            for text in (self.data.contact_label or "Contact us", self.data.contact_subject):
+                if text and "\n" not in text:
+                    key = chunk_key(text)
+                    if (
+                        lang not in self.data.trans.get(key, {})
+                        and (lang, key) not in inflight
+                        and (lang, key, "nav") not in self.validation_failures
+                    ):
+                        titles.append((0, text, key))
         if len(titles) < 2:
             return None
         md = "\n".join(f"{'  ' * depth}- {title}" for depth, title, _ in titles)
diff --git a/pagerite/views.py b/pagerite/views.py
index 515c0b8..1b05843 100644
--- a/pagerite/views.py
+++ b/pagerite/views.py
@@ -1012,7 +1012,7 @@ def _contact_config(data: Data, lang: str) -> dict[str, str]:
     the visitor dialog's title, the mailto address and its subject (the
     label when no separate subject is configured). Translations come from
     the chunk-keyed trans store (i18n.site_string)."""
-    label = i18n.site_string(data, lang, data.contact_label) or "Contact us"
+    label = i18n.site_string(data, lang, data.contact_label or "Contact us")
     return {
         "label": label,
         "email": data.contact_email,