diff --git a/release_scripts/localization_scripts/diffscript.py b/release_scripts/localization_scripts/diffscript.py
index df805d7236..4f207f3f9f 100644
--- a/release_scripts/localization_scripts/diffscript.py
+++ b/release_scripts/localization_scripts/diffscript.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def main():
                         help='The commit for current release.')
     parser.add_argument('-nc', '--no-commits', dest='no_commits', action='store_true', default=False,
                         required=False, help="Suppresses adding commits to the generated csv header.")
-    parser.add_argument('-l', '--language', dest='language', type=str, default='HEAD', required=False,
+    parser.add_argument('-l', '--language', dest='language', type=str, default=None, required=False,
                         help='Specify the language in order to determine the first commit to use (i.e. \'ja\' for '
                              'Japanese.  This flag overrides the first-commit flag.')
     parser.add_argument('-vr', '--value-regex', dest='value_regex', type=str, default=None, required=False,
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ def main():
     output_path = args.output_path
     commit_1_id = args.commit_1_id
     value_regex = args.value_regex
-    if args.language is not None:
-        commit_1_id = get_commit_for_language(args.language)
+    lang = args.language
+    if lang is not None:
+        commit_1_id = get_commit_for_language(lang)
 
     if commit_1_id is None:
         print('Either the first commit or language flag need to be specified.  If specified, the language file, ' +
diff --git a/release_scripts/localization_scripts/gitutil.py b/release_scripts/localization_scripts/gitutil.py
index 333bee1440..43c20e2ce0 100644
--- a/release_scripts/localization_scripts/gitutil.py
+++ b/release_scripts/localization_scripts/gitutil.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def get_commit_id(repo_path: str, commit_id: str) -> str:
         The hash for the commit in the repo.
     """
     repo = Repo(repo_path, search_parent_directories=True)
-    commit = repo.commit(commit_id)
+    commit = repo.commit(commit_id.strip())
     return str(commit.hexsha)
 
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def get_property_files_diff(repo_path: str, commit_1_id: str, commit_2_id: str,
         All found item changes in values of keys between the property files.
     """
 
-    diffs = get_diff(repo_path, commit_1_id, commit_2_id)
+    diffs = get_diff(repo_path, commit_1_id.strip(), commit_2_id.strip())
     for diff in diffs:
         rel_path = get_rel_path(diff)
         if rel_path is None or not rel_path.endswith('.' + property_file_extension):
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def get_property_file_entries(repo_path: str, at_commit: str = 'HEAD',
 
     """
     repo = Repo(repo_path, search_parent_directories=True)
-    commit = repo.commit(at_commit)
+    commit = repo.commit(at_commit.strip())
     for item in list_paths(commit.tree):
         path, blob = item
         if path.endswith(property_file_extension):
diff --git a/release_scripts/localization_scripts/lastupdated.properties b/release_scripts/localization_scripts/lastupdated.properties
index e69de29bb2..8a337511e7 100644
--- a/release_scripts/localization_scripts/lastupdated.properties
+++ b/release_scripts/localization_scripts/lastupdated.properties
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# in format of bundles.<language>.lastupdated=<commit id>
\ No newline at end of file