diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index dd485ac7..037cf724 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 po/vips7.*.pot
 test-driver
+po/vips*.pot
 vips-*.tar.gz
 doc/reference/setup-build.stamp
 doc/reference/tmpl-build.stamp
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 7ec08130..4976cd70 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 14/5/13 started 7.32.4
 - icc import and export could segv on very wide images
+- fix centos 5 build, thanks re-boot
 
 16/4/13 started 7.32.3
 - rename GETTEXT_PACKAGE as vips7.32 to help Debian (thanks Jay)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ad000ac4..6ab4ab85 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -325,7 +325,9 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES(THREADS, glib-2.0 >= 2.32,[
   AC_DEFINE(HAVE_PRIVATE_INIT,1,[define if your glib has G_PRIVATE_INIT().])
   AC_DEFINE(HAVE_VALUE_GET_SCHAR,1,[define if your glib has g_value_get_schar().])
   ],[
-     # no action if not found
+    # the old threading system ... we need to link against gthread
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GTHREAD, gthread-2.0)
+    PACKAGES_USED="$PACKAGES_USED gthread-2.0"
   ]
 )