diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index bc20f93..6a062a8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = \
 # no idea why this is required, it should not be:
 DISTCLEANFILES = po/stamp-po
 
-SUBDIRS = src data po
+SUBDIRS = src data
+
+if HAVE_PO
+SUBDIRS += po
+endif
 
 EXTRA_DIST = README AUTHORS COPYING COPYING.icons ephoto.spec
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6383b97..c15d108 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -69,8 +69,18 @@ EFL_LINKER_FLAG([-Wl,--gc-sections])
 ALL_LINGUAS=`cat po/LINGUAS | grep -v '^[ ]*#'`
 AC_SUBST(ALL_LINGUAS)
 
+m4_ifdef([AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION], [
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.12.1])
+])
+
+m4_ifdef([AM_GNU_GETTEXT], [
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
+po_makefile_in=po/Makefile.in
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PO], [true])
+],[
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PO], [false])
+])
+AC_SUBST(LTLIBINTL)
 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([ELEMENTARY], [elementary ecore-file ethumb_client])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([EFREET_MIME], [efreet-mime])
@@ -159,7 +169,7 @@ data/themes/default/Makefile
 data/themes/default/images/Makefile
 src/Makefile
 src/bin/Makefile
-po/Makefile.in
+$po_makefile_in
 ])