diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index c2accc26..f7074b2e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -7,23 +7,30 @@ if BUILD_HELP_DOC
   SUBDIRS += help
 endif
 
-@INTLTOOL_DESKTOP_RULE@
 DESKTOP_IN_IN_FILES = gparted.desktop.in.in
 DESKTOP_IN_FILES = gparted.desktop.in
 DESKTOP_FILES =$(DESKTOP_IN_FILES:.desktop.in=.desktop)
 desktopdir = $(datadir)/applications
 desktop_DATA = $(DESKTOP_FILES)
 
-@INTLTOOL_XML_RULE@
+$(DESKTOP_FILES): $(DESKTOP_IN_FILES)
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) --desktop --template $< -d $(top_srcdir)/po -o $@
+
 APPDATA_IN_FILES = gparted.appdata.xml.in
 APPDATA_FILES =$(APPDATA_IN_FILES:.xml.in=.xml)
 appdatadir = $(datadir)/appdata
 appdata_DATA = $(APPDATA_FILES)
 
-@INTLTOOL_POLICY_RULE@
+$(APPDATA_FILES): $(APPDATA_IN_FILES)
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) --xml --template $< -d $(top_srcdir)/po -o $@
+
 polkit_action_in_in_FILES = org.gnome.gparted.policy.in.in
 polkit_action_in_FILES = org.gnome.gparted.policy.in
 polkit_action_FILES = $(polkit_action_in_FILES:.policy.in=.policy)
+
+$(polkit_action_FILES): $(polkit_action_in_FILES)
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(MSGFMT) --xml --template $< -d $(top_srcdir)/po -o $@
+
 polkit_actiondir = $(datadir)/polkit-1/actions
 if INSTALL_POLKIT_ACTIONS
   polkit_action_DATA = $(polkit_action_FILES)
@@ -76,15 +83,9 @@ EXTRA_DIST =			\
 	$(DESKTOP_IN_IN_FILES)	\
 	$(DESKTOP_FILES)	\
 	$(polkit_action_in_in_FILES)  \
-	intltool-extract.in  	\
-	intltool-merge.in	\
-	intltool-update.in	\
 	gparted.in
 
 DISTCLEANFILES =		\
 	$(appdata_DATA)		\
 	$(desktop_DATA)		\
-	$(polkit_action_DATA)  \
-	intltool-extract	\
-	intltool-merge		\
-	intltool-update
+	$(polkit_action_DATA)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6bde555a..bda0ceb3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ GETTEXT_PACKAGE=gparted
 AC_SUBST([GETTEXT_PACKAGE])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([GETTEXT_PACKAGE], "$GETTEXT_PACKAGE", [description])
 
-AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT
-IT_PROG_INTLTOOL([0.36.0])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.19.8])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
+
 
 dnl Check for and fix missing delete of intltool cache lock file.  Only
 dnl needed with intltool >= 0.51.0-5.1, but just always fix as that is
diff --git a/gparted.appdata.xml.in b/gparted.appdata.xml.in
index 843a901b..2c180939 100644
--- a/gparted.appdata.xml.in
+++ b/gparted.appdata.xml.in
@@ -4,24 +4,24 @@
   <id>gparted.desktop</id>
   <metadata_license>GFDL-1.3</metadata_license>
   <project_license>GPL-2.0+</project_license>
-  <_name>GParted Partition Editor</_name>
-  <_summary>Create, reorganize, and delete partitions</_summary>
+  <name>GParted Partition Editor</name>
+  <summary>Create, reorganize, and delete partitions</summary>
   <description>
-    <_p>
+    <p>
     GParted is a free partition editor for graphically managing your
     disk partitions.
-    </_p>
-    <_p>
+    </p>
+    <p>
     With GParted you can resize, copy, label, and move partitions
     without data loss.  These actions enable you to grow or shrink
     your C: drive, create space for new operating systems, or attempt
     data rescue from lost partitions.
-    </_p>
-    <_p>
+    </p>
+    <p>
     GParted works with many file systems including: btrfs, exfat, ext2,
     ext3, ext4, fat16, fat32, hfs, hfs+, linux-swap, lvm2 pv, minix,
     nilfs2, ntfs, reiserfs, reiser4, udf, ufs, and xfs.
-    </_p>
+    </p>
   </description>
   <launchable type="desktop-id">gparted.desktop</launchable>
   <screenshots>
diff --git a/gparted.desktop.in.in b/gparted.desktop.in.in
index 3712b7dc..57b9245b 100644
--- a/gparted.desktop.in.in
+++ b/gparted.desktop.in.in
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 [Desktop Entry]
-_Name=GParted
-_GenericName=Partition Editor
-_X-GNOME-FullName=GParted Partition Editor
-_Comment=Create, reorganize, and delete partitions
+Name=GParted
+GenericName=Partition Editor
+X-GNOME-FullName=GParted Partition Editor
+Comment=Create, reorganize, and delete partitions
 Exec=@bindir@/gparted %f
 Icon=gparted
 Terminal=false
 Type=Application
 Categories=GNOME;System;Filesystem;
-_Keywords=Partition;
+Keywords=Partition;
 StartupNotify=true
diff --git a/org.gnome.gparted.policy.in.in b/org.gnome.gparted.policy.in.in
index f0e213ac..ef922f84 100644
--- a/org.gnome.gparted.policy.in.in
+++ b/org.gnome.gparted.policy.in.in
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
     <icon_name>gparted</icon_name>
     <action id="org.gnome.gparted">
 
-        <_description>Run GParted as root</_description>
-        <_message>Authentication is required to run the GParted Partition Editor as root</_message>
+        <description>Run GParted as root</description>
+        <message>Authentication is required to run the GParted Partition Editor as root</message>
         <defaults>
             <allow_any>auth_admin</allow_any>
             <allow_inactive>auth_admin</allow_inactive>
diff --git a/po/Makevars b/po/Makevars
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..579ebd17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/Makevars
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# 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 tells whether or not to prepend "GNU " prefix to the package
+# name that gets inserted into the header of the $(DOMAIN).pot file.
+# Possible values are "yes", "no", or empty.  If it is empty, try to
+# detect it automatically by scanning the files in $(top_srcdir) for
+# "GNU packagename" string.
+PACKAGE_GNU =
+
+# 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 =
+
+# 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 = no
+
+# 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 =
+
+# These options get passed to msginit.
+# If you want to disable line wrapping when writing PO files, add
+# --no-wrap to MSGMERGE_OPTIONS, XGETTEXT_OPTIONS, and
+# MSGINIT_OPTIONS.
+MSGINIT_OPTIONS =
+
+# This tells whether or not to regenerate a PO file when $(DOMAIN).pot
+# has changed.  Possible values are "yes" and "no".  Set this to no if
+# the POT file is checked in the repository and the version control
+# program ignores timestamps.
+PO_DEPENDS_ON_POT = no
+
+# This tells whether or not to forcibly update $(DOMAIN).pot and
+# regenerate PO files on "make dist".  Possible values are "yes" and
+# "no".  Set this to no if the POT file and PO files are maintained
+# externally.
+DIST_DEPENDS_ON_UPDATE_PO = no