In the Czech Republic, Romani language planning has long been a controversial subject. The question informing the current research is whether the European Charter's goal of protecting, maintaining and invigorating Romani is attainable in a culture driven by standard language ideology, Czech society's aversion to multiculturalism and an overall hostility toward the Roma and Romani. I seek to clarify specific obstacles that stand in the way of attaining positive outcomes from planning Romani. The article discusses whether further standardization of Romani by teaching it is the way to protect Romani, whether gradual integration of the Roma is a way to maintain a community couched in vernacular culture and whether Romani should be saved as an identity value for its speakers, a cultural entity, historical database and an academic subject.