diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9523e05..d75ef30 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -315,6 +315,9 @@ ifneq ($(BLOBS),)
 		$(INSTALL_DATA) $(SRC_PATH)/pc-bios/$$x "$(DESTDIR)$(qemu_datadir)"; \
 	done
 endif
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_GTK),y)
+	$(MAKE) -C po $@ || exit 1
+endif
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) "$(DESTDIR)$(qemu_datadir)/keymaps"
 	set -e; for x in $(KEYMAPS); do \
 		$(INSTALL_DATA) $(SRC_PATH)/pc-bios/keymaps/$$x "$(DESTDIR)$(qemu_datadir)/keymaps"; \
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 586dbd3..befc65c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3055,6 +3055,7 @@ fi
 
 qemu_confdir=$sysconfdir$confsuffix
 qemu_datadir=$datadir$confsuffix
+qemu_localedir="$datadir/locale"
 
 tools=
 if test "$softmmu" = yes ; then
@@ -3207,6 +3208,7 @@ echo "sysconfdir=$sysconfdir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_confdir=$qemu_confdir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_datadir=$qemu_datadir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_docdir=$qemu_docdir" >> $config_host_mak
+echo "qemu_localedir=$qemu_localedir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "libexecdir=\${prefix}/libexec" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "CONFIG_QEMU_HELPERDIR=\"$prefix/libexec\"" >> $config_host_mak
 
@@ -4135,7 +4137,7 @@ DIRS="$DIRS qapi-generated"
 DIRS="$DIRS libcacard libcacard/libcacard libcacard/trace"
 FILES="Makefile tests/tcg/Makefile qdict-test-data.txt"
 FILES="$FILES tests/tcg/cris/Makefile tests/tcg/cris/.gdbinit"
-FILES="$FILES tests/tcg/lm32/Makefile libcacard/Makefile"
+FILES="$FILES tests/tcg/lm32/Makefile libcacard/Makefile po/Makefile"
 FILES="$FILES pc-bios/optionrom/Makefile pc-bios/keymaps"
 FILES="$FILES pc-bios/spapr-rtas/Makefile"
 FILES="$FILES roms/seabios/Makefile roms/vgabios/Makefile"
diff --git a/po/Makefile b/po/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e2c11b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# This makefile is very special as it's meant to build as part of the build
+# process and also within the source tree to update the translation files.
+
+VERSION=$(shell cat ../VERSION)
+TRANSLATIONS=de_DE
+SRCS=$(addsuffix .po, $(TRANSLATIONS))
+OBJS=$(addsuffix .mo, $(TRANSLATIONS))
+
+SRC_PATH=..
+
+-include ../config-host.mak
+
+vpath %.po $(SRC_PATH)/po
+
+all:
+	@echo Use 'make update' to update translation files
+	@echo or us 'make build' or 'make install' to build and install
+	@echo the translation files
+
+update: $(SRCS)
+
+build: $(OBJS)
+
+clean:
+	$(RM) $(OBJS)
+
+install: $(OBJS)
+	for obj in $(OBJS); do \
+	    base=`basename $$obj .mo`; \
+	    $(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/locale/$$base/LC_MESSAGES; \
+	    $(INSTALL) -m644 $$obj $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/locale/$$base/LC_MESSAGES/qemu.mo; \
+	done
+
+%.mo:
+	@msgfmt -o $@ $(SRC_PATH)/po/`basename $@ .mo`.po
+
+messages.po: $(SRC_PATH)/ui/gtk.c
+	@xgettext -o $@ --foreign-user --package-name=QEMU --package-version=1.0.50 --msgid-bugs-address=qemu-devel@nongnu.org -k_ -C $<
+
+de_DE.po: messages.po $(SRC_PATH)/ui/gtk.c
+	@msgmerge $@ $< > $@.bak && mv $@.bak $@
+
+.PHONY: $(SRCS) clean all
diff --git a/po/de_DE.po b/po/de_DE.po
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa4ef42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/de_DE.po
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# SOME DESCRIPTIVE TITLE.
+# This file is put in the public domain.
+# FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR.
+#
+#, fuzzy
+msgid ""
+msgstr ""
+"Project-Id-Version: QEMU 1.0.50\n"
+"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: qemu-devel@nongnu.org\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2012-02-26 11:30-0600\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
+"Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
+"Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
+"Language: \n"
+"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
+"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
+"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:769
+msgid "_File"
+msgstr "_File FIXME"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:779
+msgid "_View"
+msgstr "_View FIXME"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:781
+msgid "_Full Screen"
+msgstr "_Full Screen FIXME"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:805
+msgid "_Grab Input"
+msgstr "_Grab Input FIXME"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:831
+msgid "Show _Tabs"
+msgstr "Show _Tabs FIXME"
diff --git a/po/it.po b/po/it.po
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85eeef9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/it.po
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# Italian translation for QEMU.
+# This file is put in the public domain.
+# Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>, 2012.
+#
+msgid ""
+msgstr ""
+"Project-Id-Version: QEMU 1.0.50\n"
+"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: qemu-devel@nongnu.org\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2012-02-26 11:30-0600\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: 2012-02-27 08:23+0100\n"
+"Last-Translator: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>\n"
+"Language-Team: Italian <it@li.org>\n"
+"Language: \n"
+"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
+"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
+"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
+"Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=n != 1;\n"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:769
+msgid "_File"
+msgstr "_File"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:779
+msgid "_View"
+msgstr "_Visualizza"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:781
+msgid "_Full Screen"
+msgstr "_Schermo intero"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:805
+msgid "_Grab Input"
+msgstr "_Cattura input"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:831
+msgid "Show _Tabs"
+msgstr "Mostra _tab"
diff --git a/po/messages.po b/po/messages.po
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..741e782
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/messages.po
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# SOME DESCRIPTIVE TITLE.
+# This file is put in the public domain.
+# FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR.
+#
+#, fuzzy
+msgid ""
+msgstr ""
+"Project-Id-Version: QEMU 1.0.50\n"
+"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: qemu-devel@nongnu.org\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2012-02-26 11:30-0600\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
+"Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
+"Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
+"Language: \n"
+"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
+"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=CHARSET\n"
+"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:769
+msgid "_File"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:779
+msgid "_View"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:781
+msgid "_Full Screen"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:805
+msgid "_Grab Input"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: ../ui/gtk.c:831
+msgid "Show _Tabs"
+msgstr ""
diff --git a/ui/gtk.c b/ui/gtk.c
index 5a5d8e2..aa80ef4 100644
--- a/ui/gtk.c
+++ b/ui/gtk.c
@@ -31,8 +31,12 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301 USA
  */
 
+#define GETTEXT_PACKAGE "qemu"
+#define LOCALEDIR "po"
+
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include <gdk/gdkkeysyms.h>
+#include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <vte/vte.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
@@ -940,7 +944,7 @@ static void gd_create_menus(GtkDisplayState *s)
     accel_group = gtk_accel_group_new();
     s->file_menu = gtk_menu_new();
     gtk_menu_set_accel_group(GTK_MENU(s->file_menu), accel_group);
-    s->file_menu_item = gtk_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic("_File");
+    s->file_menu_item = gtk_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("_File"));
 
     s->quit_item = gtk_image_menu_item_new_from_stock(GTK_STOCK_QUIT, NULL);
     gtk_stock_lookup(GTK_STOCK_QUIT, &item);
@@ -950,9 +954,9 @@ static void gd_create_menus(GtkDisplayState *s)
 
     s->view_menu = gtk_menu_new();
     gtk_menu_set_accel_group(GTK_MENU(s->view_menu), accel_group);
-    s->view_menu_item = gtk_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic("_View");
+    s->view_menu_item = gtk_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("_View"));
 
-    s->full_screen_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic("_Full Screen");
+    s->full_screen_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("_Full Screen"));
     gtk_menu_item_set_accel_path(GTK_MENU_ITEM(s->full_screen_item),
                                  "<QEMU>/View/Full Screen");
     gtk_accel_map_add_entry("<QEMU>/View/Full Screen", GDK_KEY_f, GDK_CONTROL_MASK | GDK_MOD1_MASK);
@@ -985,10 +989,10 @@ static void gd_create_menus(GtkDisplayState *s)
     separator = gtk_separator_menu_item_new();
     gtk_menu_append(GTK_MENU(s->view_menu), separator);
 
-    s->grab_on_hover_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic("Grab On _Hover");
+    s->grab_on_hover_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("Grab On _Hover"));
     gtk_menu_append(GTK_MENU(s->view_menu), s->grab_on_hover_item);
 
-    s->grab_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic("_Grab Input");
+    s->grab_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("_Grab Input"));
     gtk_menu_item_set_accel_path(GTK_MENU_ITEM(s->grab_item),
                                  "<QEMU>/View/Grab Input");
     gtk_accel_map_add_entry("<QEMU>/View/Grab Input", GDK_KEY_g, GDK_CONTROL_MASK | GDK_MOD1_MASK);
@@ -1014,7 +1018,7 @@ static void gd_create_menus(GtkDisplayState *s)
     separator = gtk_separator_menu_item_new();
     gtk_menu_append(GTK_MENU(s->view_menu), separator);
 
-    s->show_tabs_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic("Show _Tabs");
+    s->show_tabs_item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("Show _Tabs"));
     gtk_menu_append(GTK_MENU(s->view_menu), s->show_tabs_item);
 
     g_object_set_data(G_OBJECT(s->window), "accel_group", accel_group);
@@ -1051,6 +1055,10 @@ void gtk_display_init(DisplayState *ds)
     s->scale_y = 1.0;
     s->free_scale = FALSE;
 
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
+    bindtextdomain("qemu", CONFIG_QEMU_LOCALEDIR);
+    textdomain("qemu");
+
     s->null_cursor = gdk_cursor_new(GDK_BLANK_CURSOR);
 
     s->mouse_mode_notifier.notify = gd_mouse_mode_change;
