diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 6a100675..1cd3cee1 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,5 @@ fi
 
 autoreconf --force --install --verbose || exit $?
 
-intltoolize || exit 1
-
 cd "$olddir"
 test -n "$NOCONFIGURE" || "$srcdir/configure" "$@"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0de147b8..884df254 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ GLIB_REQS=2.40
 
 AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS
 
-IT_PROG_INTLTOOL([0.35.0])
-
 AC_PROG_CC
 AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 AC_DISABLE_STATIC
@@ -47,9 +45,9 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.11 no-define no-dist-gzip dist-xz tar-ustar foreign subdir-objects])
 AC_PROG_SED
 
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([GETTEXT_PACKAGE],["$PACKAGE_NAME"],[gettext domain])
-
-AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.19.7])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "$PACKAGE", [gettext domain])
 
 # Enable silent rules is available
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
diff --git a/po/Makevars b/po/Makevars
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff29c0d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/Makevars
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Makefile variables for PO directory in any package using GNU gettext.
+
+# Usually the message domain is the same as the package name.
+DOMAIN = $(PACKAGE)
+
+# These two variables depend on the location of this directory.
+subdir = po
+top_builddir = ..
+
+# These options get passed to xgettext.
+XGETTEXT_OPTIONS = --keyword=_ --keyword=N_
+
+# This is the copyright holder that gets inserted into the header of the
+# $(DOMAIN).pot file.  Set this to the copyright holder of the surrounding
+# package.  (Note that the msgstr strings, extracted from the package's
+# sources, belong to the copyright holder of the package.)  Translators are
+# expected to transfer the copyright for their translations to this person
+# or entity, or to disclaim their copyright.  The empty string stands for
+# the public domain; in this case the translators are expected to disclaim
+# their copyright.
+COPYRIGHT_HOLDER = Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+# This is the email address or URL to which the translators shall report
+# bugs in the untranslated strings:
+# - Strings which are not entire sentences, see the maintainer guidelines
+#   in the GNU gettext documentation, section 'Preparing Strings'.
+# - Strings which use unclear terms or require additional context to be
+#   understood.
+# - Strings which make invalid assumptions about notation of date, time or
+#   money.
+# - Pluralisation problems.
+# - Incorrect English spelling.
+# - Incorrect formatting.
+# It can be your email address, or a mailing list address where translators
+# can write to without being subscribed, or the URL of a web page through
+# which the translators can contact you.
+MSGID_BUGS_ADDRESS = https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues
+
+# This is the list of locale categories, beyond LC_MESSAGES, for which the
+# message catalogs shall be used.  It is usually empty.
+EXTRA_LOCALE_CATEGORIES =
+
+# This tells whether the $(DOMAIN).pot file contains messages with an 'msgctxt'
+# context.  Possible values are "yes" and "no".  Set this to yes if the
+# package uses functions taking also a message context, like pgettext(), or
+# if in $(XGETTEXT_OPTIONS) you define keywords with a context argument.
+USE_MSGCTXT = yes
+
+# These options get passed to msgmerge.
+# Useful options are in particular:
+#   --previous            to keep previous msgids of translated messages,
+#   --quiet               to reduce the verbosity.
+MSGMERGE_OPTIONS =
diff --git a/system-helper/Makefile.am.inc b/system-helper/Makefile.am.inc
index 53a69d45..e8a04f3e 100644
--- a/system-helper/Makefile.am.inc
+++ b/system-helper/Makefile.am.inc
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ polkit_policydir = $(datadir)/polkit-1/actions
 polkit_policy_DATA =					\
 	system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy
 
-@INTLTOOL_POLICY_RULE@
+%.policy: %.policy.in
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(MSGFMT) --xml -d $(top_srcdir)/po --template $< -o $@ || cp $< $@
 
 EXTRA_DIST += system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy.in system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.SystemHelper.conf system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.rules.in
 DISTCLEANFILES += system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.rules system-helper/flatpak-system-helper.service system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.SystemHelper.service
diff --git a/system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy.in b/system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy.in
index 57b28dd2..bd7ab71b 100644
--- a/system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy.in
+++ b/system-helper/org.freedesktop.Flatpak.policy.in
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
           - Paranoid users (or parents!) can change this to 'auth_admin' or
             'auth_admin_keep'.
      -->
-    <_description>Install signed application</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to install software</_message>
+    <description>Install signed application</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to install software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@
           - Paranoid users (or parents!) can change this to 'auth_admin' or
             'auth_admin_keep'.
      -->
-    <_description>Install signed runtime</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to install software</_message>
+    <description>Install signed runtime</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to install software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@
           - Changing this to anything other than 'yes' will break unattended
             updates.
      -->
-    <_description>Update signed application</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to update software</_message>
+    <description>Update signed application</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to update software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
           - Changing this to anything other than 'yes' will break unattended
             updates.
      -->
-    <_description>Update signed runtime</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to update software</_message>
+    <description>Update signed runtime</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to update software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@
   </action>
 
   <action id="org.freedesktop.Flatpak.install-bundle">
-    <_description>Install bundle</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is install software</_message>
+    <description>Install bundle</description>
+    <message>Authentication is install software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@
   </action>
 
   <action id="org.freedesktop.Flatpak.runtime-uninstall">
-    <_description>Uninstall runtime</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to uninstall software</_message>
+    <description>Uninstall runtime</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to uninstall software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@
   </action>
 
   <action id="org.freedesktop.Flatpak.app-uninstall">
-    <_description>Uninstall app</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to uninstall software</_message>
+    <description>Uninstall app</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to uninstall software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@
   </action>
 
   <action id="org.freedesktop.Flatpak.configure-remote">
-    <_description>Configure Remote</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to configure software repositories</_message>
+    <description>Configure Remote</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to configure software repositories</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@
           - Changing this to anything other than 'yes' will break unattended
             updates.
      -->
-    <_description>Update appstream</_description>
-    <_message>Authentication is required to update software</_message>
+    <description>Update appstream</description>
+    <message>Authentication is required to update software</message>
     <icon_name>package-x-generic</icon_name>
     <defaults>
       <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>