diff --git a/common.pri b/common.pri
index 1a23b61a..98aa52e3 100644
--- a/common.pri
+++ b/common.pri
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ include(glew.pri)
 include(eigen.pri)
 include(boost.pri)
 include(glib-2.0.pri)
+include(gettext.pri)
 include(sparkle.pri)
 include(harfbuzz.pri)
 include(freetype.pri)
diff --git a/gettext.pri b/gettext.pri
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84fffa55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gettext.pri
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Detect gettext, then use this priority list to determine
+# which library to use:
+#
+# Priority
+# 1. GETTEXT_INCLUDEPATH / GETTEXT_LIBPATH (qmake parameter, not checked it given on commandline)
+# 2. OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES (environment variable)
+# 3. system's standard include paths from pkg-config
+
+gettext {
+
+# read environment variables
+OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES_DIR = $$(OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES)
+GETTEXT_DIR = $$(GETTEXTDIR)
+
+macx: {
+  isEmpty(GETTEXT_INCLUDEPATH) {
+    !isEmpty(OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES_DIR) {
+      GETTEXT_INCLUDEPATH = $$OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES_DIR/include
+      GETTEXT_LIBPATH = $$OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES_DIR/lib
+    }
+  }
+  GETTEXT_CXXFLAGS=-I$$GETTEXT_INCLUDEPATH
+  GETTEXT_LIBS=-L$$GETTEXT_LIBPATH -lintl -liconv
+}
+
+QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += $$GETTEXT_CXXFLAGS
+LIBS += $$GETTEXT_LIBS
+}
diff --git a/openscad.pro b/openscad.pro
index e9f6adc2..5d36d0d9 100644
--- a/openscad.pro
+++ b/openscad.pro
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ CONFIG += glib-2.0
 CONFIG += harfbuzz
 CONFIG += freetype
 CONFIG += fontconfig
+CONFIG += gettext
 
 #Uncomment the following line to enable the QScintilla editor
 CONFIG += scintilla
diff --git a/scripts/translation-update.sh b/scripts/translation-update.sh
index b2db9de9..adff93f1 100755
--- a/scripts/translation-update.sh
+++ b/scripts/translation-update.sh
@@ -15,21 +15,21 @@ updatepot()
  OPTS=$OPTS' --default-domain=openscad'
  OPTS=$OPTS' --keyword=_'
  OPTS=$OPTS' --files-from=./po/POTFILES.in'
- cmd='xgettext '$OPTS' -o ./po/openscad.pot'
+ cmd="${GETTEXT_PATH}xgettext "$OPTS' -o ./po/openscad.pot'
  echo $cmd
  $cmd
  if [ ! $? = 0 ]; then
   echo error running xgettext
   exit 1
  fi
- sed -i s/"CHARSET"/"UTF-8"/g ./po/openscad.pot
+ sed -e s/"CHARSET"/"UTF-8"/g ./po/openscad.pot > ./po/openscad.pot.new && mv ./po/openscad.pot.new ./po/openscad.pot
 }
 
 updatepo()
 {
  for LANGCODE in `cat ./po/LINGUAS | grep -v "#"`; do
   OPTS='--update --backup=t'
-  cmd='msgmerge '$OPTS' ./po/'$LANGCODE'.po ./po/openscad.pot'
+  cmd="$GETTEXT_PATH"'msgmerge '$OPTS' ./po/'$LANGCODE'.po ./po/openscad.pot'
   echo $cmd
   $cmd
   if [ ! $? = 0 ]; then
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ updatemo()
  for LANGCODE in `cat po/LINGUAS | grep -v "#"`; do
   mkdir -p ./po/$LANGCODE/LC_MESSAGES
   OPTS='-c -v'
-  cmd='msgfmt '$OPTS' -o ./po/'$LANGCODE'/LC_MESSAGES/openscad.mo ./po/'$LANGCODE'.po'
+  cmd="$GETTEXT_PATH"'msgfmt '$OPTS' -o ./po/'$LANGCODE'/LC_MESSAGES/openscad.mo ./po/'$LANGCODE'.po'
   echo $cmd
   $cmd
   if [ ! $? = 0 ]; then
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ updatemo()
  done
 }
 
+GETTEXT_PATH=""
+if [ "x$OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES" != x ]; then
+	GETTEXT_PATH="$OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES/bin/"
+fi
+
 if [ "x$1" = xupdatemo ]; then
  updatemo
 else