diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3f66302..4931d32 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ gcov: clean
 po:
 	$(QUIET)${MAKE} -C po
 
+update-po:
+	$(QUIET)${MAKE} -C po update-po
+
 install-headers: ${PROJECT}.pc
 	$(ECHO) installing header files
 	$(QUIET)mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}${PREFIX}/include/${PROJECT}
@@ -164,4 +167,4 @@ uninstall:
 -include $(wildcard .depend/*.dep)
 
 .PHONY: all options clean doc debug valgrind gdb dist doc install uninstall test \
-	po install-headers uninstall-headers
+	po install-headers uninstall-headers update-po
diff --git a/po/Makefile b/po/Makefile
index 6b52e94..b8eb3a2 100644
--- a/po/Makefile
+++ b/po/Makefile
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ ${PROJECT}.pot: POTFILES.in
 	$(ECHO) regenerate ${PROJECT}.pot
 	$(QUIET)intltool-update --pot --gettext-package=${PROJECT}
 
-%.po: ${PROJECT}.pot
-	$(ECHO) updating language $(shell echo $@ | sed 's/\.po//')
-	$(QUIET)intltool-update --dist --gettext-package=${PROJECT} $(shell echo $@ | sed 's/\.po//')
+update-po: ${PROJECT}.pot
+	$(ECHO) updating po: files ${CATALOGS}
+	$(QUIET)set -e && for f in ${CATALOGS} ; do \
+		intltool-update --dist --gettext-package=${PROJECT} `echo $$f | sed 's/\.po//'` ; \
+	done
 
 %/LC_MESSAGES/${PROJECT}.mo: %.po
 	@mkdir -p $(@D)
@@ -44,3 +46,5 @@ uninstall: ${MOS}
 	$(QUIET)set -e && for f in $^ ; do \
 		rm -f $(LOCALEDIR)/$$f; \
 	done
+
+.PHONY: all clean update-po install uninstall