diff --git a/srcpkgs/gettext/template b/srcpkgs/gettext/template
index e1d136252d..959fc1a38f 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/gettext/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/gettext/template
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ configure_args="--disable-java --disable-native-java --disable-csharp
  --disable-openmp --with-included-libxml --with-included-libcroco
  --disable-acl --with-included-glib --with-included-libcroco --without-git
  --with-included-libxml --disable-openmp --disable-curses
- --without-examples gl_cv_func_gettimeofday_clobber=no"
+ --without-examples --enable-nls gl_cv_func_gettimeofday_clobber=no"
 replaces="chroot-gettext>=0"
 short_desc="Internationalized Message Handling Library and tools"
 maintainer="Juan RP <xtraeme@voidlinux.eu>"
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ license="GPL-3"
 distfiles="http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/${pkgname}/${pkgname}-${version}.tar.gz"
 checksum=8ac9f1ed1a5f8c4e656a2f37f5ba6b9ee04c4df79a575e876b0b6946aa417f3f
 
+case "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" in
+	# force libintl
+	*-musl) configure_args+=" --with-included-gettext";;
+esac
+
 if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
 	hostmakedepends="automake libtool git"
 	pre_configure() {