diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ea0e26adfce03..7da8ec6ccdbbf 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ epub:
 	@echo "Build finished. The epub file is in $(BUILDDIR)/epub."
 
 latex:
+	$(PYTHON) docs/prepare_readme_for_latex.py
 	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latex $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/latex
+	mv README.rst.bak README.rst
 	@echo
 	@echo "Build finished; the LaTeX files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
 	@echo "Run \`make' in that directory to run these through (pdf)latex" \
@@ -164,14 +166,18 @@ latex:
 
 # seems to be malfunctioning
 latexpdf:
+	$(PYTHON) docs/prepare_readme_for_latex.py
 	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latex $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/latex
+	mv README.rst.bak README.rst
 	@echo "Running LaTeX files through pdflatex..."
 	$(MAKE) -C $(BUILDDIR)/latex all-pdf
 	@echo "pdflatex finished; the PDF files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
 
 # seems to be malfunctioning
 latexpdfja:
+	$(PYTHON) docs/prepare_readme_for_latex.py
 	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latex $(ALLSPHINXOPTS) $(BUILDDIR)/latex
+	mv README.rst.bak README.rst
 	@echo "Running LaTeX files through platex and dvipdfmx..."
 	$(MAKE) -C $(BUILDDIR)/latex all-pdf-ja
 	@echo "pdflatex finished; the PDF files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
diff --git a/docs/prepare_readme_for_latex.py b/docs/prepare_readme_for_latex.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a22abbdeb8a0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/prepare_readme_for_latex.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import shutil
+
+with open("README.rst", "r") as f:
+    readme_content = f.read()
+
+shutil.copyfile("README.rst", "README.rst.bak")
+
+# turn badge into text only
+modified_readme_content = readme_content.replace("|Weblate|", "Weblate", 1)
+
+# remove image link
+badge_link_lines = """.. |Weblate| image:: https://hosted.weblate.org/widgets/circuitpython/-/svg-badge.svg
+   :target: https://hosted.weblate.org/engage/circuitpython/?utm_source=widget"""
+
+modified_readme_content = modified_readme_content.replace(badge_link_lines, "")
+
+with open("README.rst", "w") as f:
+    f.write(modified_readme_content)