diff --git a/WINGs/po/Makefile.am b/WINGs/po/Makefile.am
index 3c0a2487..076c1166 100644
--- a/WINGs/po/Makefile.am
+++ b/WINGs/po/Makefile.am
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ POTFILES += \
 SUFFIXES = .po .mo
 
 .po.mo: 
-	msgfmt -c -o $@ $<
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) -c -o $@ $<
 
 
 all-local: $(CATALOGS)
diff --git a/WPrefs.app/po/Makefile.am b/WPrefs.app/po/Makefile.am
index 2f9401d8..cd5123fb 100644
--- a/WPrefs.app/po/Makefile.am
+++ b/WPrefs.app/po/Makefile.am
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ POTFILES  = \
 SUFFIXES = .po .mo
 
 .po.mo: 
-	msgfmt -c -o $@ $<
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) -c -o $@ $<
 
 
 all-local: $(CATALOGS)
diff --git a/m4/wm_i18n.m4 b/m4/wm_i18n.m4
index 7a6340e0..88dc70e4 100644
--- a/m4/wm_i18n.m4
+++ b/m4/wm_i18n.m4
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ AS_IF([test "x$LINGUAS" != "x"],
         [AC_MSG_ERROR([support for internationalization requested, but gettext was not found])])
      LIBS="$wm_save_LIBS"
      dnl
+     dnl The program 'msgfmt' is needed to convert the 'po' files into 'mo' files
+     AC_CHECK_PROG([MSGFMT], [msgfmt], [msgfmt])
+     AS_IF([test "x$MSGFMT" = "x"],
+         [AC_MSG_ERROR([the program 'msgfmt' is mandatory to install translation - do you miss the package 'gettext'?])])
+     dnl
      dnl Environment is sane, let's continue
      AC_DEFINE([I18N], [1], [Internationalization (I18N) support (set by configure)])
      supported_locales=""
diff --git a/po/Makefile.am b/po/Makefile.am
index 55756fb7..578f30c8 100644
--- a/po/Makefile.am
+++ b/po/Makefile.am
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ POTFILES  = \
 SUFFIXES = .po .mo
 
 .po.mo: 
-	msgfmt -c -o $@ $<
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) -c -o $@ $<
 
 
 all-local: $(CATALOGS)
diff --git a/util/po/Makefile.am b/util/po/Makefile.am
index 53d895bd..53fa9529 100644
--- a/util/po/Makefile.am
+++ b/util/po/Makefile.am
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ POTFILES  = \
 SUFFIXES = .po .mo
 
 .po.mo:
-	msgfmt -c -o $@ $<
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) -c -o $@ $<
 
 
 all-local: $(CATALOGS)