diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8b20f487..ff471e67 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ if BUILD_SERVERTEST
 SERVERTEST=servertest
 endif
 
-SUBDIRS = po intl $(GLIB_DIR) src $(SERVERTEST) docs scripts
+if HAVE_MSGFMT
+NLS_DIRS=po
+endif
+
+SUBDIRS = $(NLS_DIRS) intl $(GLIB_DIR) src $(SERVERTEST) docs scripts
 
 confdir = $(sysconfdir)/irssi
 conf_DATA = config default.theme colorless.theme
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index ab46e8db..7d9710d6 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -580,10 +580,7 @@ dnl **
 
 ALL_LINGUAS="pl pt_BR fr de sv"
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT
-
-if test "x$MSGFMT" = "xno"; then
-	USE_NLS=no
-fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_MSGFMT, test "x$MSGFMT" = "xyes")
 
 dnl ** common libraries needed by frontends
 COMMON_NOUI_LIBS="$CHAT_LIBS $CORE_LIBS $INTLLIBS"