diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 70ee5e39..15868a11 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 - better rounding for im_conv(), im_convsep()
 - tiny speedup for im_conv()
 - better /0 test for remainderconst
-- revise i18n configure
+- revise i18n configure, get rid of intltool 
 
 25/1/08 started 7.14.0
 - bump all version numbers for new stable
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 586cc821..2ce6f80d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -27,16 +27,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	vips-7.${IM_MINOR_VERSION}.spec.in \
 	acinclude.m4 \
 	depcomp \
-	intltool-extract.in \
-	intltool-merge.in \
-	intltool-update.in \
 	$(P_DIST_DIR)
 
-DISTCLEANFILES = \
-	intltool-extract \
-	intltool-merge \
-	intltool-update
-
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = vips-7.${IM_MINOR_VERSION}.pc vipsCC-7.${IM_MINOR_VERSION}.pc
 
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 2a812043..474984b4 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ fi
 test -r aclocal.m4 || touch aclocal.m4
 glib-gettextize --force --copy
 test -r aclocal.m4 && chmod u+w aclocal.m4
-intltoolize --copy --force --automake
+# intltoolize --copy --force --automake
 aclocal 
 autoconf
 autoheader
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 8e84f892..b18fba5c 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ LIBRARY_AGE=6
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE($PACKAGE,$VERSION)
 
-# we need intltool ... v0.21 is the first that works reasonably well,
-# apparently
-AC_PROG_INTLTOOL([0.21])
-
 # patched into include/vips/version.h
 AC_SUBST(IM_VERSION)
 AC_SUBST(IM_VERSION_STRING)
diff --git a/include/vips/internal.h b/include/vips/internal.h
index 57a99270..b3229c82 100644
--- a/include/vips/internal.h
+++ b/include/vips/internal.h
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ int im__find_best_contrast( IMAGE *image,
 	int nbest, int hcorsize );
 int im__balance( IMAGE *ref, IMAGE *sec, IMAGE *out,
 	IMAGE **ref_out, IMAGE **sec_out, int dx, int dy, int balancetype );
+void im__black_region( REGION *reg );
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c b/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c
index cc6c4dfb..87a783f0 100644
--- a/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c
+++ b/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
+#include <vips/internal.h>
 
 #ifdef WITH_DMALLOC
 #include <dmalloc.h>
diff --git a/libsrc/mosaicing/im_affine.c b/libsrc/mosaicing/im_affine.c
index 21f65a76..6fb238d8 100644
--- a/libsrc/mosaicing/im_affine.c
+++ b/libsrc/mosaicing/im_affine.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
+#include <vips/internal.h>
 
 #include "merge.h"
 
diff --git a/libsrc/mosaicing/merge.h b/libsrc/mosaicing/merge.h
index 4c05aba3..1da4f79a 100644
--- a/libsrc/mosaicing/merge.h
+++ b/libsrc/mosaicing/merge.h
@@ -119,10 +119,6 @@ Overlapping *im__build_mergestate( IMAGE *ref, IMAGE *sec, IMAGE *out,
 void *im__start_merge( IMAGE *out, void *, void * );
 int im__merge_gen( REGION *or, void *seq, void *a, void * );
 int im__stop_merge( void *seq, void *, void * );
-void im__black_region( REGION *reg );
-int im__extract_area( IMAGE *in, IMAGE *out,
-	int x, int y, int w, int h );
-int im__extract_band( IMAGE *in, IMAGE *out, int band );
 int im__lrmerge( IMAGE *ref, IMAGE *sec, IMAGE *out, 
 	int dx, int dy, int mwidth );
 int im__tbmerge( IMAGE *ref, IMAGE *sec, IMAGE *out, 
diff --git a/man/im_histgr.3 b/man/im_histgr.3
index 67fb50e5..8bb4d067 100644
--- a/man/im_histgr.3
+++ b/man/im_histgr.3
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ Use
 to graph the histogram for visualisation. See the separate manpage.
 
 .B im_histcum(3)
-forms a cumulative histogram. It works for any unsigned integer format.
+forms a cumulative histogram. 
 
 .B im_histnorm(3) 
 normalises a histogram. The maximum histogram value becomes equal to the