diff --git a/utils/cpupower-info.c b/utils/cpupower-info.c
index 4c9d342b7..91b43d67c 100644
--- a/utils/cpupower-info.c
+++ b/utils/cpupower-info.c
@@ -39,8 +39,10 @@ int cmd_info(int argc, char **argv)
 	} params = {};
 	int ret = 0;
 
+#ifdef NLS
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	textdomain(PACKAGE);
+#endif
 
 	/* parameter parsing */
 	while ((ret = getopt_long(argc, argv, "b", set_opts, NULL)) != -1) {
diff --git a/utils/cpupower-set.c b/utils/cpupower-set.c
index 3cd95c6cb..7f8698493 100644
--- a/utils/cpupower-set.c
+++ b/utils/cpupower-set.c
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ int cmd_set(int argc, char **argv)
 	int perf_bias = 0;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+#ifdef NLS
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	textdomain(PACKAGE);
+#endif
 
 	params.params = 0;
 	/* parameter parsing */
diff --git a/utils/cpupower.c b/utils/cpupower.c
index 8e3d08042..0ab891d3a 100644
--- a/utils/cpupower.c
+++ b/utils/cpupower.c
@@ -191,8 +191,10 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
+#ifdef NLS
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	textdomain(PACKAGE);
+#endif
 
 	/* Turn "perf cmd --help" into "perf help cmd" */
 	if (argc > 1 && !strcmp(argv[1], "--help")) {
diff --git a/utils/helpers/helpers.h b/utils/helpers/helpers.h
index 357b19bb1..cde3a9f6f 100644
--- a/utils/helpers/helpers.h
+++ b/utils/helpers/helpers.h
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #ifndef __CPUPOWERUTILS_HELPERS__
 #define __CPUPOWERUTILS_HELPERS__
 
-#include <libintl.h>
 #include <locale.h>
 
 #include "helpers/bitmask.h"
@@ -18,6 +17,8 @@
 /* Internationalization ****************************/
 #ifdef NLS
 
+#include <libintl.h>
+
 #define _(String) gettext(String)
 #ifndef gettext_noop
 #define gettext_noop(String) String
diff --git a/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.c b/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.c
index 3d54fd433..7026e3367 100644
--- a/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.c
+++ b/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.c
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ void list_monitors(void)
 			 * percent, time (granlarity)
 			 */
 			printf("%s\t[%c] -> %s\n", s.name, range_abbr[s.range],
-			       gettext(s.desc));
+			       _(s.desc));
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.h b/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.h
index eafef38f1..f3e44f063 100644
--- a/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.h
+++ b/utils/idle_monitor/cpupower-monitor.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ extern long long timespec_diff_us(struct timespec start, struct timespec end);
 
 #define print_overflow_err(mes, ov)						\
 {										\
-	fprintf(stderr, gettext("Measure took %u seconds, but registers could "	\
+	fprintf(stderr, _("Measure took %u seconds, but registers could "	\
 				"overflow at %u seconds, results "		\
 				"could be inaccurate\n"), mes, ov);		\
 }