diff --git a/package/util-linux/Config.in b/package/util-linux/Config.in
index 43a8444..88d08e7 100644
--- a/package/util-linux/Config.in
+++ b/package/util-linux/Config.in
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_UTIL_LINUX
 	bool "util-linux"
 	depends on BR2_LARGEFILE
 	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GETTEXT if BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT_IF_LOCALE
 	help
 	  Various useful/essential Linux utilities.
 
diff --git a/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk b/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk
index 71a6c53..a6abbf5 100644
--- a/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk
+++ b/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ else
 UTIL_LINUX_CONF_OPT += --without-ncurses
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_GETTEXT),y)
+ifeq ($(BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT_IF_LOCALE),y)
 UTIL_LINUX_DEPENDENCIES += gettext
 UTIL_LINUX_MAKE_OPT += LIBS=-lintl
 endif