diff --git a/bootstrap.conf b/bootstrap.conf
index c6620e5c0b..56911e02cf 100644
--- a/bootstrap.conf
+++ b/bootstrap.conf
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ buildreq="\
 autoconf   2.59
 automake   1.9.6
 autopoint  -
-gettext    0.17
+gettext    0.18
 git        1.5.5
 gzip       -
 libtool    -
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 53c9b34ee6..a814495da6 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="$CPPFLAGS"
-AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.17])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.18])
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
 GETTEXT_CPPFLAGS=
 if test "x$save_CPPFLAGS" != "x$CPPFLAGS"; then