--- a/gettext-tools/configure.ac
+++ b/gettext-tools/configure.ac
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 
 dnl These are the only lines required to internationalize the package.
 dnl (OK, not quite, the AC_CONFIG_FILES has also some parts.)
-AM_GNU_GETTEXT([use-libtool], [need-ngettext], [\${top_builddir}/../gettext-runtime/intl])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external], [need-ngettext], [\${top_builddir}/../gettext-runtime/intl])
 
 dnl This option allows to build gettext-tools without (re)building libtextstyle.
 AC_ARG_WITH([installed-libtextstyle],
--- a/gettext-runtime/configure.ac
+++ b/gettext-runtime/configure.ac
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 
 dnl These are the only lines required to internationalize the package.
 dnl (OK, not quite, the AC_CONFIG_FILES has also some parts.)
-AM_GNU_GETTEXT([use-libtool], [need-ngettext], [\${top_builddir}/intl])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external], [need-ngettext], [\${top_builddir}/intl])
 
 dnl Checks for header files, functions and declarations.
 gl_INIT
--- a/gettext-runtime/intl/configure.ac
+++ b/gettext-runtime/intl/configure.ac
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
 
 dnl These are the only lines required to internationalize the package.
 dnl (OK, not quite, the AC_CONFIG_FILES has also some parts.)
-AM_GNU_GETTEXT([here], [need-ngettext])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external], [need-ngettext])
 dnl Conditionals for the intl/ directory.
 AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_INCLUDED_LIBINTL], [test $USE_INCLUDED_LIBINTL = yes])
 gt_GLIBC2