diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1a956bac..5258c846 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 - fixes to --disable-cxx mode (thanks Mike)
 - added German translation, thanks Chris Leick
 - fixed typos in some messages, thanks Chris Leick
+- fix gettext startup
 
 21/3/10 started 7.21.3
 - added progress feedback to threadpool
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/im_init_world.c b/libvips/iofuncs/im_init_world.c
index 65ecfb33..8d024252 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/im_init_world.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/im_init_world.c
@@ -194,10 +194,7 @@ im_init_world( const char *argv0 )
 	/* Get i18n .mo files from $VIPSHOME/share/locale/.
 	 */
 	im_snprintf( name, 256,
-			/*
 		"%s" G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "share" G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "locale",
-		 	 */
-		"%s" G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "share",
 		prefix );
 	bindtextdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE, name );
 	bind_textdomain_codeset( GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "UTF-8" );
diff --git a/tools/iofuncs/edvips.c b/tools/iofuncs/edvips.c
index 9e018a57..0a61165f 100644
--- a/tools/iofuncs/edvips.c
+++ b/tools/iofuncs/edvips.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ Copyright K.Martinez 30/6/93
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 #include <vips/internal.h>
@@ -121,6 +122,8 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "%s", _( "unable to start VIPS" ) );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	context = g_option_context_new( 
 		_( "vipsfile - edit vipsfile header" ) );
diff --git a/tools/iofuncs/header.c b/tools/iofuncs/header.c
index 16b4ab16..f5cf2ecd 100644
--- a/tools/iofuncs/header.c
+++ b/tools/iofuncs/header.c
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 #include <vips/internal.h>
@@ -164,6 +165,8 @@ main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
         context = g_option_context_new( _( "- print image header" ) );
 
diff --git a/tools/iofuncs/vips.c b/tools/iofuncs/vips.c
index 59b8bf95..a80d6999 100644
--- a/tools/iofuncs/vips.c
+++ b/tools/iofuncs/vips.c
@@ -885,6 +885,9 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
+
 #ifdef DEBUG_FATAL
 	/* Set masks for debugging ... stop on any problem. 
 	 */
diff --git a/tools/iofuncs/vipsthumbnail.c b/tools/iofuncs/vipsthumbnail.c
index d7327ed7..7d5ab66a 100644
--- a/tools/iofuncs/vipsthumbnail.c
+++ b/tools/iofuncs/vipsthumbnail.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -432,7 +433,10 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	int i;
 
-	im_init_world( argv[0] );
+	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
+	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
         context = g_option_context_new( _( "- thumbnail generator" ) );
 
diff --git a/tools/mosaicing/find_mosaic.c b/tools/mosaicing/find_mosaic.c
index 70370fe0..11e5d0c7 100644
--- a/tools/mosaicing/find_mosaic.c
+++ b/tools/mosaicing/find_mosaic.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -351,6 +352,8 @@ char **argv;
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	/* Too many?
 	 */
diff --git a/tools/mosaicing/mergeup.c b/tools/mosaicing/mergeup.c
index 3436cf58..166f1a94 100644
--- a/tools/mosaicing/mergeup.c
+++ b/tools/mosaicing/mergeup.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -471,6 +472,8 @@ char **argv;
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	/* Too many?
 	 */
diff --git a/tools/other/cooc.c b/tools/other/cooc.c
index d5371a95..9879cb13 100644
--- a/tools/other/cooc.c
+++ b/tools/other/cooc.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -59,6 +60,8 @@ argv[0]);
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	xpos = atoi(argv[3]);
 	ypos = atoi(argv[4]);
diff --git a/tools/other/cooc_features.c b/tools/other/cooc_features.c
index 7b8a9ea6..d9d8a687 100644
--- a/tools/other/cooc_features.c
+++ b/tools/other/cooc_features.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -56,6 +57,8 @@ main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if( argc != 2 )
 		error_exit( "usage: %s matrix_image", argv[0] );
diff --git a/tools/other/glds.c b/tools/other/glds.c
index 814df4ff..cc7e4e85 100644
--- a/tools/other/glds.c
+++ b/tools/other/glds.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if (argc != 9)
 		error_exit("Usage:\n\
diff --git a/tools/other/glds_features.c b/tools/other/glds_features.c
index 07aff552..7859429e 100644
--- a/tools/other/glds_features.c
+++ b/tools/other/glds_features.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if( argc != 2 )
 		error_exit( "usage: %s matrix_image", argv[0] );
diff --git a/tools/other/simcontr.c b/tools/other/simcontr.c
index a79a98a3..c3320ae4 100644
--- a/tools/other/simcontr.c
+++ b/tools/other/simcontr.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 #include <vips/internal.h>
@@ -53,6 +54,8 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if (argc != 4)
 		error_exit("Usage:\n%s file xsize ysize\n\n\
diff --git a/tools/other/sines.c b/tools/other/sines.c
index 0612a99b..bd1056ea 100644
--- a/tools/other/sines.c
+++ b/tools/other/sines.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 #include <vips/internal.h>
@@ -54,6 +55,8 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if (argc != 6)
 		error_exit("Usage:\n%s file xsize ysize horfreq verfreq\n\n\
diff --git a/tools/other/spatres.c b/tools/other/spatres.c
index c41b46a5..a6ed3e3e 100644
--- a/tools/other/spatres.c
+++ b/tools/other/spatres.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if ( (argc != 4)||(argv[1][0] == '-') )
 		error_exit(
diff --git a/tools/other/squares.c b/tools/other/squares.c
index 62c42f81..9865c0a8 100644
--- a/tools/other/squares.c
+++ b/tools/other/squares.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 #include <vips/internal.h>
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ main( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	if( im_init_world( argv[0] ) )
 	        error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
 
 	if (argc != 6)
 		error_exit("Usage:\n%s file xsize ysize horfreq verfreq\n\n\