diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 881af4b6be..487d272921 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ libdaxctl=""
 meson=""
 ninja=""
 skip_meson=no
-gettext=""
+gettext="auto"
 fuse="auto"
 fuse_lseek="auto"
 
@@ -1016,9 +1016,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-vnc) vnc="enabled"
   ;;
-  --disable-gettext) gettext="false"
+  --disable-gettext) gettext="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-gettext) gettext="true"
+  --enable-gettext) gettext="enabled"
   ;;
   --oss-lib=*) oss_lib="$optarg"
   ;;
@@ -2848,19 +2848,6 @@ if test "$xen_pci_passthrough" != "disabled"; then
   fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# gettext probe
-if test "$gettext" != "false" ; then
-  if has xgettext; then
-    gettext=true
-  else
-    if test "$gettext" = "true" ; then
-      feature_not_found "gettext" "Install xgettext binary"
-    fi
-    gettext=false
-  fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # X11 probe
 if $pkg_config --exists "x11"; then
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 74ac853548..f8f053b5c8 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ option('sphinx_build', type : 'string', value : '',
 
 option('docs', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Documentations build support')
-option('gettext', type : 'boolean', value : true,
+option('gettext', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Localization of the GTK+ user interface')
 option('install_blobs', type : 'boolean', value : true,
        description: 'install provided firmware blobs')
diff --git a/po/meson.build b/po/meson.build
index 1387fd979a..a863f0575f 100644
--- a/po/meson.build
+++ b/po/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 i18n = import('i18n')
 
-if get_option('gettext')
+if find_program('xgettext', required: get_option('gettext')).found()
   i18n.gettext(meson.project_name(),
                args: '--msgid-bugs-address=qemu-devel@nongnu.org',
                preset: 'glib')