diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 8305b55f4..03afb8785 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2002-11-03  Henning Meier-Geinitz <henning@meier-geinitz.de>
+
+	* README configure.in configure po/Makefile.in po/README:
+	  Translations are now enabled by default if the gettext tools are
+	  found. Use msgcat if available. Don't update the .po files
+	  automatically.
+
 2002-10-31  Henning Meier-Geinitz <henning@meier-geinitz.de>
 
 	* configure configure.in: Print installation directories.
diff --git a/README b/README
index a0ef13fb9..00fd49e1c 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -105,11 +105,10 @@ configure options, there are the following SANE specific options:
 	configuration file. Please refer to the backend's man pages for
 	details.
 
---enable-translations
-        Enable installation of backend options. Frontends can use these
-        translations for localized option titles and descriptions. GNU
-        gettext is necessary. This feature is isn't tested very well and
-        thus disabled by default. See po/README for details.
+--disable-translations
+        Disable installation of translated backend options. If you get
+        errors in the po/ directory during build, use this option.
+        See po/README for details.
 
 In addition to these configuration options, there are some more SANE-specific
 options and many standard-options.  To get a description of available options,
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 727d4c467..2d352e93e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ ac_help="$ac_help
                           [default=no] This option is in no way related to 
                           --enable-scsi-directio"
 ac_help="$ac_help
-  --enable-translations   install translations of backend options [default=no]"
+  --disable-translations  don't install translations of backend options"
 ac_help="$ac_help
   --disable-local-backends turns off compilation of all backends but net"
 
@@ -8621,14 +8621,180 @@ fi
 # Check whether --enable-translations or --disable-translations was given.
 if test "${enable_translations+set}" = set; then
   enableval="$enable_translations"
-  INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=install-translations
+  
+      if eval "test x$enable_translation = xno"; then 
+        INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=
+      else
+        INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=install-translations
+      fi
+  
 else
-  INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=
+  INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=install-translations
 
 fi
 
 
 
+if eval "test x$INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS = xinstall-translations" ; then
+  # Extract the first word of "msgfmt", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy msgfmt; ac_word=$2
+echo $ac_n "checking for $ac_word""... $ac_c" 1>&6
+echo "configure:8643: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_path_MSGFMT'+set}'`\" = set"; then
+  echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
+else
+  case "$MSGFMT" in
+  /*)
+  ac_cv_path_MSGFMT="$MSGFMT" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  ?:/*)			 
+  ac_cv_path_MSGFMT="$MSGFMT" # Let the user override the test with a dos path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  IFS="${IFS= 	}"; ac_save_ifs="$IFS"; IFS=":"
+  ac_dummy="$PATH"
+  for ac_dir in $ac_dummy; do 
+    test -z "$ac_dir" && ac_dir=.
+    if test -f $ac_dir/$ac_word; then
+      ac_cv_path_MSGFMT="$ac_dir/$ac_word"
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+  IFS="$ac_save_ifs"
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_MSGFMT" && ac_cv_path_MSGFMT="no"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+MSGFMT="$ac_cv_path_MSGFMT"
+if test -n "$MSGFMT"; then
+  echo "$ac_t""$MSGFMT" 1>&6
+else
+  echo "$ac_t""no" 1>&6
+fi
+
+  # Extract the first word of "xgettext", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy xgettext; ac_word=$2
+echo $ac_n "checking for $ac_word""... $ac_c" 1>&6
+echo "configure:8679: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT'+set}'`\" = set"; then
+  echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
+else
+  case "$XGETTEXT" in
+  /*)
+  ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT="$XGETTEXT" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  ?:/*)			 
+  ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT="$XGETTEXT" # Let the user override the test with a dos path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  IFS="${IFS= 	}"; ac_save_ifs="$IFS"; IFS=":"
+  ac_dummy="$PATH"
+  for ac_dir in $ac_dummy; do 
+    test -z "$ac_dir" && ac_dir=.
+    if test -f $ac_dir/$ac_word; then
+      ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT="$ac_dir/$ac_word"
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+  IFS="$ac_save_ifs"
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT" && ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT="no"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+XGETTEXT="$ac_cv_path_XGETTEXT"
+if test -n "$XGETTEXT"; then
+  echo "$ac_t""$XGETTEXT" 1>&6
+else
+  echo "$ac_t""no" 1>&6
+fi
+
+  # Extract the first word of "msgmerge", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy msgmerge; ac_word=$2
+echo $ac_n "checking for $ac_word""... $ac_c" 1>&6
+echo "configure:8715: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE'+set}'`\" = set"; then
+  echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
+else
+  case "$MSGMERGE" in
+  /*)
+  ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE="$MSGMERGE" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  ?:/*)			 
+  ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE="$MSGMERGE" # Let the user override the test with a dos path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  IFS="${IFS= 	}"; ac_save_ifs="$IFS"; IFS=":"
+  ac_dummy="$PATH"
+  for ac_dir in $ac_dummy; do 
+    test -z "$ac_dir" && ac_dir=.
+    if test -f $ac_dir/$ac_word; then
+      ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE="$ac_dir/$ac_word"
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+  IFS="$ac_save_ifs"
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE" && ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE="no"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+MSGMERGE="$ac_cv_path_MSGMERGE"
+if test -n "$MSGMERGE"; then
+  echo "$ac_t""$MSGMERGE" 1>&6
+else
+  echo "$ac_t""no" 1>&6
+fi
+
+  # Extract the first word of "msgcat", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy msgcat; ac_word=$2
+echo $ac_n "checking for $ac_word""... $ac_c" 1>&6
+echo "configure:8751: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_path_MSGCAT'+set}'`\" = set"; then
+  echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
+else
+  case "$MSGCAT" in
+  /*)
+  ac_cv_path_MSGCAT="$MSGCAT" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  ?:/*)			 
+  ac_cv_path_MSGCAT="$MSGCAT" # Let the user override the test with a dos path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  IFS="${IFS= 	}"; ac_save_ifs="$IFS"; IFS=":"
+  ac_dummy="$PATH"
+  for ac_dir in $ac_dummy; do 
+    test -z "$ac_dir" && ac_dir=.
+    if test -f $ac_dir/$ac_word; then
+      ac_cv_path_MSGCAT="$ac_dir/$ac_word"
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+  IFS="$ac_save_ifs"
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_MSGCAT" && ac_cv_path_MSGCAT="no"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+MSGCAT="$ac_cv_path_MSGCAT"
+if test -n "$MSGCAT"; then
+  echo "$ac_t""$MSGCAT" 1>&6
+else
+  echo "$ac_t""no" 1>&6
+fi
+
+  
+  
+  
+  
+  if test x$MSGFMT = xno || test x$XGETTEXT = xno || test $MSGMERGE = no ; then
+    INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=
+    echo "disabling translations"
+  else
+    echo "enabling translations"
+  fi
+else
+  echo "disabling translations"
+fi  
+
+
 # Check whether --enable-local-backends or --disable-local-backends was given.
 if test "${enable_local_backends+set}" = set; then
   enableval="$enable_local_backends"
@@ -8644,7 +8810,7 @@ fi
 # Extract the first word of "sane-config", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy sane-config; ac_word=$2
 echo $ac_n "checking for $ac_word""... $ac_c" 1>&6
-echo "configure:8648: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+echo "configure:8814: checking for $ac_word" >&5
 if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_path_SANE_CONFIG_PATH'+set}'`\" = set"; then
   echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
 else
@@ -8678,7 +8844,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 echo $ac_n "checking for sane_init in -lsane""... $ac_c" 1>&6
-echo "configure:8682: checking for sane_init in -lsane" >&5
+echo "configure:8848: checking for sane_init in -lsane" >&5
 ac_lib_var=`echo sane'_'sane_init | sed 'y%./+-%__p_%'`
 if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_lib_$ac_lib_var'+set}'`\" = set"; then
   echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
@@ -8686,7 +8852,7 @@ else
   ac_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
 LIBS="-lsane  $LIBS"
 cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 8690 "configure"
+#line 8856 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 /* Override any gcc2 internal prototype to avoid an error.  */
 /* We use char because int might match the return type of a gcc2
@@ -8697,7 +8863,7 @@ int main() {
 sane_init()
 ; return 0; }
 EOF
-if { (eval echo configure:8701: \"$ac_link\") 1>&5; (eval $ac_link) 2>&5; } && test -s conftest${ac_exeext}; then
+if { (eval echo configure:8867: \"$ac_link\") 1>&5; (eval $ac_link) 2>&5; } && test -s conftest${ac_exeext}; then
   rm -rf conftest*
   eval "ac_cv_lib_$ac_lib_var=yes"
 else
@@ -8917,6 +9083,10 @@ s%@SNAPSCAN@%$SNAPSCAN%g
 s%@DLL_PRELOAD@%$DLL_PRELOAD%g
 s%@PNM@%$PNM%g
 s%@INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS@%$INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS%g
+s%@MSGFMT@%$MSGFMT%g
+s%@XGETTEXT@%$XGETTEXT%g
+s%@MSGMERGE@%$MSGMERGE%g
+s%@MSGCAT@%$MSGCAT%g
 s%@SELECTED_BACKENDS@%$SELECTED_BACKENDS%g
 s%@SANE_CONFIG_PATH@%$SANE_CONFIG_PATH%g
 s%@DISTCLEAN_FILES@%$DISTCLEAN_FILES%g
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index bb862d6ad..717f8ba17 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -448,12 +448,38 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(parport-directio,
   ])
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(translations,
-  [  --enable-translations   install translations of backend options [default=no]],
-  INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=install-translations,
-  INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=
+  [  --disable-translations  don't install translations of backend options],
+  [
+      if eval "test x$enable_translation = xno"; then 
+        INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=
+      else
+        INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=install-translations
+      fi
+  ],
+  INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=install-translations
 )
 AC_SUBST(INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS)
 
+if eval "test x$INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS = xinstall-translations" ; then
+  AC_PATH_PROG(MSGFMT, msgfmt, no)
+  AC_PATH_PROG(XGETTEXT, xgettext, no)
+  AC_PATH_PROG(MSGMERGE, msgmerge, no)
+  AC_PATH_PROG(MSGCAT, msgcat, no)
+  AC_SUBST(MSGFMT)
+  AC_SUBST(XGETTEXT)
+  AC_SUBST(MSGMERGE)
+  AC_SUBST(MSGCAT)
+  if test x$MSGFMT = xno || test x$XGETTEXT = xno || test $MSGMERGE = no ; then
+    INSTALL_TRANSLATIONS=
+    echo "disabling translations"
+  else
+    echo "enabling translations"
+  fi
+else
+  echo "disabling translations"
+fi  
+
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(local-backends,
     [  --disable-local-backends turns off compilation of all backends but net],
     [
diff --git a/po/Makefile.in b/po/Makefile.in
index 18990dd04..a7cca1c07 100644
--- a/po/Makefile.in
+++ b/po/Makefile.in
@@ -41,9 +41,10 @@ INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 INSTALL_PROGRAM = @INSTALL_PROGRAM@
 INSTALL_DATA = @INSTALL_DATA@
 
-MSGFMT = msgfmt
-XGETTEXT = xgettext
-MSGMERGE = msgmerge
+MSGFMT = @MSGFMT@
+XGETTEXT = @XGETTEXT@
+MSGMERGE = @MSGMERGE@
+MSGCAT = @MSGCAT@
 
 TMP_FILE_DIR = .tmp
 
@@ -67,19 +68,16 @@ DISTFILES = Makefile.in README epson.de.po mustek.de.po matsushita.fr.po \
 
 saneopts.*.po: ../include/sane/saneopts.h
 
-# backend.lang.po -> backend.lang.mo; include saneopts.??.po while removing
-# its msgid "" to avoid msgfmt errors
-.po.mo:
+# backend.lang.po -> backend.lang.mo; include saneopts.??.po
+%.mo:
 	@lang=$(subst .,,$(suffix $(basename $(subst install-,,$@)))) ; \
-	 echo generating $@ from $< and saneopts.$${lang}.po ; \
-	 (cat $< ; \
-	  awk 'BEGIN {empty_msgid = 0; empty_line = 0}; \
-	       /^msgid ""/ {empty_msgid = 1}; \
-	       {if (empty_msgid == 1) {if (/^$$/) {empty_line = 1}}} ; \
-	       {if (empty_line != 1) {sub(/^/, "#")} ; \
-	       print}' \
-	      saneopts.$${lang}.po ; \
-	 )| $(MSGFMT) -o $@ -
+	 echo generating $@ from $*.po and saneopts.$${lang}.po ; \
+	 if test $(MSGCAT) = no ; then \
+	   $(MSGFMT) -o $@ $*.po saneopts.$${lang}.po ; \
+	 else \
+	   $(MSGCAT) --use-first $*.po saneopts.$${lang}.po \
+	     | $(MSGFMT) -o $@ - ; \
+	 fi
 
 
 # Sourcefiles -> backend.lang.po (updating po)
diff --git a/po/README b/po/README
index 413e06d4c..836cef5f8 100644
--- a/po/README
+++ b/po/README
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
-2002-01-24
+2002-11-03
 
 This directory contains translations for the options of the SANE backends.
-They are only used if configure is called with option --enable-translations.
+They are only used if the gettext tools are found by configure.
 You will need GNU gettext: xgettext, msgfmt and msgmerge. The translations
-are used at least by the frontend XSane.
+are used at least by the frontends XSane and quiteinsane.
 
 What do you need to do if you want to:
 
 - Just read the description of SANE options in your language
-  * Use XSane or your favourite backend that supports translations, read the
+  * Use XSane or your favourite frontend that supports translations, read the
     documentation and set LANG to your local setting (e.g. de_DE for German
     language in Germany).
 
 - Update existing translations when the source code has changed
-  * cd po ; make
+  * cd po ; make backend.lang.po
   * Edit backend.lang.po, add/change translations. (with lang = your
     language, e.g. "de", and backend = your backend, e.g. mustek)
   * make ; make install
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ What do you need to do if you want to:
   * Edit po/Makefile.in. Add a line "backend.*.po: yourfiles" where
     yourfiles is a space-separated list of all your files containing
     translatable text. Also add backend.lang.po to DISTFILES.
-  * ./configure --enable-translations
+  * ./configure
   * cd po ; make backend.lang.po-gen
   * see above, if the language isn't used by other backends.
   * Edit backend-lang.po, enter translations. Don't forget to edit the header.
@@ -55,11 +55,6 @@ What do you need to do if you want to:
   * With other NLS implementations, converting the mo files may work.
 
 Bugs:
-- This is the first attempt to support translations. It's probably very buggy
-  and is not very well tested.
-- Documentation is not complete.
-- I'm not sure if all the functions in Makefile.in work with older versions
-  of make.
 - I used sed to also include macros into *.pot.
 - All well known options are added to *.lang.po even if they are not used
   in the backend.
\ No newline at end of file