diff --git a/.gnulib b/.gnulib
index f15a17dc1f..bb2f5640d5 160000
--- a/.gnulib
+++ b/.gnulib
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit f15a17dc1f5d2b1fc8a423795c54b211552c0483
+Subproject commit bb2f5640d5379c5b4eec2d62341413bbab1aa308
diff --git a/bootstrap b/bootstrap
index 5aa73cc1b7..6b458689be 100755
--- a/bootstrap
+++ b/bootstrap
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # Print a version string.
-scriptversion=2012-04-19.22; # UTC
+scriptversion=2012-04-25.17; # UTC
 
 # Bootstrap this package from checked-out sources.
 
@@ -873,7 +873,15 @@ if test $with_gettext = yes; then
     }
   ' po/Makevars.template >po/Makevars || exit 1
 
-  cat $GNULIB_SRCDIR/build-aux/po/Makefile.in.in > po/Makefile.in.in || exit 1
+  # If the 'gettext' module is in use, grab the latest Makefile.in.in.
+  # If only the 'gettext-h' module is in use, assume autopoint already
+  # put the correct version of this file into place.
+  case $gnulib_modules in
+  *gettext-h*) ;;
+  *gettext*)
+    cp $GNULIB_SRCDIR/build-aux/po/Makefile.in.in po/Makefile.in.in || exit 1
+    ;;
+  esac
 
   if test -d runtime-po; then
     # Similarly for runtime-po/Makevars, but not quite the same.
diff --git a/bootstrap.conf b/bootstrap.conf
index 56911e02cf..c6620e5c0b 100644
--- a/bootstrap.conf
+++ b/bootstrap.conf
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ buildreq="\
 autoconf   2.59
 automake   1.9.6
 autopoint  -
-gettext    0.18
+gettext    0.17
 git        1.5.5
 gzip       -
 libtool    -
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a814495da6..53c9b34ee6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2274,7 +2274,7 @@ dnl compute the difference between save_CPPFLAGS and CPPFLAGS and append it
 dnl to INCLUDES in order to preserve changes made by gettext but in a place
 dnl that does not break the build
 save_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.18])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.17])
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
 GETTEXT_CPPFLAGS=
 if test "x$save_CPPFLAGS" != "x$CPPFLAGS"; then