diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 91f9ab6e4..86b28d397 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -108,9 +108,6 @@ AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
 GETTEXT_PACKAGE=pulseaudio
 AC_SUBST([GETTEXT_PACKAGE])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([GETTEXT_PACKAGE],["$GETTEXT_PACKAGE"],[Gettext package])
-
-pulselocaledir='${prefix}/${DATADIRNAME}/locale'
-AX_DEFINE_DIR(PULSE_LOCALEDIR, pulselocaledir, [Gettext locale dir])
 else
 # workaround till an intltool m4 bug is fixed upstream
 # (https://bugs.launchpad.net/intltool/+bug/904647)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 0c58d37b2..de975c5ba 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-DPA_ALSA_PATHS_DIR=\"$(alsapathsdir)\" \
 	-DPA_ALSA_PROFILE_SETS_DIR=\"$(alsaprofilesetsdir)\" \
 	-DPA_SRCDIR=\"$(abs_srcdir)\" \
-	-DPA_BUILDDIR=\"$(abs_builddir)\"
+	-DPA_BUILDDIR=\"$(abs_builddir)\" \
+	-DPULSE_LOCALEDIR=\"$(localedir)\"
 AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 AM_CXXFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS)