PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is a short-lived protein required for the removal of damaged mitochondria through Parkin translocation and mitophagy. Because the short half-life of PINK1 limits its ability to be trafficked into neurites, local translation is required for this mitophagy pathway to be active far from the soma. The Pink1 transcript is associated and cotransported with neuronal mitochondria. In concert with translation, the mitochondrial outer membrane proteins synaptojanin 2 binding protein (SYNJ2BP) and synaptojanin 2 (SYNJ2) are required for tethering Pink1 mRNA to mitochondria via an RNA-binding domain in SYNJ2. This neuron-specific adaptation for the local translation of PINK1 provides distal mitochondria with a continuous supply of PINK1 for the activation of mitophagy. [Display omitted] • Local translation supports mitophagy in axons • Pink1 mRNA is cotransported with mitochondria • SYNJ2BP is the mitochondrial anchor for synaptojanin 2, which binds the PINK1 mRNA • This pathway is shared by several mitochondrial and nonmitochondrial transcripts Harbauer et al. describe mitochondrial hitchhiking of the Pink1 mRNA on mitochondria in neurons. This coupling of the transcript of a short-lived mitochondrial protein to the movement of its target organelles ensures the functionality of the PINK1-dependent degradation of damaged mitochondria in distal parts of the cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]