diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index cf18e4f3..70ee5e39 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 - better rounding for im_conv(), im_convsep()
 - tiny speedup for im_conv()
 - better /0 test for remainderconst
+- revise i18n configure
 
 25/1/08 started 7.14.0
 - bump all version numbers for new stable
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index d7adf8ba..586cc821 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	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
 
@@ -49,9 +54,3 @@ uninstall-hook:
 	-chmod -R u+w ${DESTDIR}$(datadir)/doc/vips
 	-rm -rf ${DESTDIR}$(datadir)/doc/vips
 
-distclean-local:
-# need to remove expanded intltool files in build area to pass distcheck
-	-rm ${top_builddir}/intltool-extract \
-		${top_builddir}/intltool-merge \
-		${top_builddir}/intltool-update
-
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 3c39db10..2a812043 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ else
   echo using libtoolize 
 fi
 
-aclocal 
+test -r aclocal.m4 || touch aclocal.m4
 glib-gettextize --force --copy
 test -r aclocal.m4 && chmod u+w aclocal.m4
 intltoolize --copy --force --automake
+aclocal 
 autoconf
 autoheader
 $LIBTOOLIZE --copy --force --automake
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 6a3974fa..8e84f892 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ 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)
@@ -97,7 +101,7 @@ AC_PROG_CXX
 AM_WITH_DMALLOC
 
 # vips.c/im_guess_prefix.c need to know the exe suffix and (as a fallback)
-# the install prefix
+# the configure-time install prefix
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(IM_EXEEXT,"$EXEEXT",[extension for executable files])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(IM_PREFIX,"$prefix",[configure-time install prefix])
 
@@ -109,7 +113,6 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "$GETTEXT_PACKAGE",
 # the 'malkovich' one is there for testing only
 # ALL_LINGUAS="en_GB malkovich"
 ALL_LINGUAS="en_GB"
-AC_PROG_INTLTOOL
 AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT
 
 # Checks for libraries.
@@ -125,7 +128,6 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([errno.h math.h fcntl.h limits.h stdlib.h string.h sys/file.h s
 # uncomment to change which libs we build
 # AC_DISABLE_SHARED
 # AC_DISABLE_STATIC
-# couldn't get this working :-( maybe try again with the next libtool
 AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
 AC_CHECK_TOOL(DLLWRAP, dllwrap)
 AC_CHECK_TOOL(DLLTOOL, dlltool)
diff --git a/include/vips/intl.h b/include/vips/intl.h
index 414241cc..22877aea 100644
--- a/include/vips/intl.h
+++ b/include/vips/intl.h
@@ -48,5 +48,3 @@ const char *im__ngettext( const char *msgid,
 #endif /*__cplusplus*/
 
 #endif /* IM_VIPS_INTL_H */
-
-
diff --git a/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c b/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c
index a0c795f4..cc6c4dfb 100644
--- a/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c
+++ b/libsrc/conversion/im_black.c
@@ -68,13 +68,7 @@
 static int
 black_gen( REGION *or, void *seq, void *a, void *b )
 {
-	int y;
-	int sz = IM_REGION_SIZEOF_LINE( or );
-	int ls = IM_REGION_LSKIP( or );
-	char *q = IM_REGION_ADDR( or, or->valid.left, or->valid.top );
-
-	for( y = 0; y < or->valid.height; y++, q += ls )
-		memset( q, 0, sz );
+	im__black_region( or );
 
 	return( 0 );
 }